Capitol Police officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey cited as 'heroes' by Speaker Ryan
WASHINGTON — The Capitol Police special agents credited with saving the lives of Republican lawmakers during a shooting at a baseball field in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday have been identified as Crystal Griner and David Bailey.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., identified them during a speech on the House floor Wednesday.
“We are, as ever, awed by the tremendous bravery of the Capitol Police,” Ryan said, adding that he spoke with both agents this morning. Ryan said one was being treated and one was about to go into surgery.
Bailey and Griner were among five people injured Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire on Republican lawmakers at a baseball practice. Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the third-ranking Republican in the House, was shot in the hip. Griner was shot in ankle and Bailey was treated for minor injury and released. The team was preparing for the annual congressional baseball game set for Thursday. The gunman died in the ensuing shootout.
Rank-and-file members of Congress do not usually have security details, but Bailey and Griner were at the baseball field because of Scalise’s role in House leadership.
“I expressed our profound gratitude to them. It is clear to me, based on various eyewitness accounts that without these two heroes — Agent Bailey and Agent Griner — many lives would have been lost,” Ryan said.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a member of the baseball team, told CNN on Wednesday morning the only reason everyone was alive was because of the Capitol Police.
“Our lives were saved by the Capitol Police. Had they not been there I think it would have been a massacre,” he said. “The field, I mean, was basically a killing field.”
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who was also on the field went met with the officers Wednesday.
“The heroes are the police officers who attacked the shooter and in doing so quite possibly saved many, many lives,” a visibly upset Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, told reporters. Barton is the team’s manager, and his son was with him at Wednesday morning’s practice.
According to Bailey’s LinkedIn page, he’s been a Capitol Police officer for more than nine years. Bailey described his job as: “Primarily responsible for the protection of life and property. Also preventing, detecting and investigating criminal acts.”
Bailey graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., in 2007 with a degree in physical education and worked at U.S. Fish and Wildlife before joining the force.
The 2007 North Carolina Central University yearbook listed him as president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and a member of the homecoming royal court.
Contributing: Bill Theobald
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