[Honorary Street Naming News Conference ]
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YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
I STAND HERE TODAY WITH A HEAVY BUT GRATEFUL HEART AS WE CELEBRATE AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, AND MY NAME IS MACKENZIE KELLY.
I'M THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SIX, WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THIS RESOLUTION THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD ON OCTOBER 24TH HONORS A TRUE HERO THROUGH THE RENAMING OF A PORTION OF MELLOW MEADOWS DRIVE, LOCATED BETWEEN HIGH MEADOW AND LAKE CREEK PARKWAY, RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.
TODAY WE OFFICIALLY DEDICATE THIS STREET IN MEMORY OF SAN MARCOS POLICE OFFICER JUSTIN PUTNAM.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE JUSTIN'S PARENTS, JAMIE AND KEVIN PUTNAM, HIS SISTER KELSEY PUTNAM, AND HIS SPOUSE, SLV ANO YOUR STRENGTH AND PRESENCE HERE TODAY.
REMIND US OF THE PROFOUND LOVE AND PRIDE YOU HAD FOR JUSTIN.
AND TO BEN ABEL, BOTH JUSTIN'S FRIEND AND MY FRIEND.
THANK YOU FOR SUGGESTING THIS IS SOMETHING I SHOULD CONTINUE CONSIDER TO DO.
UM, ONCE I WAS ELECTED, THE RENAMING HOLDS A DEEP PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR ALL OF US.
UM, WE'RE PROUD THAT WE SHARE THIS CONNECTION WITH JUSTIN, WHO WALKED THE SAME HALLS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, AS MANY OF US HERE TODAY LAUGHED WITH FRIENDS AND SET HIS SIGHTS ON A LIFE OF SERVICE.
JUSTIN GRADUATED HERE FROM WESTWOOD IN 2007, JUST TWO YEARS AFTER ME, ALONGSIDE MY SISTER KAYLA.
HE LEARNED SO MANY OF HIS VALUES, JUST AS MANY OF US DID.
DEDICATION, KINDNESS, AND COURAGE TOOK ROOT HERE.
HIS JOURNEY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL WAS A TESTAMENT TO HIS HEART FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
HE ANSWERED, ANSWERED THE CALL TO PROTECT AND SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE SAN MARCOS POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHERE HE EARNED THE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION OF HIS COLLEAGUES AND THE COMMUNITY.
TRAGICALLY, IN APRIL OF 2020, JUSTIN MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE WHILE RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL, GIVING HIS LIFE TO PROTECT OTHERS.
THAT DAY WE NOT ONLY LOST A BRAVE OFFICER, BUT A SON, A BROTHER, A PARTNER, AND A FRIEND.
AS SOMEONE WHO'S DEDICATED MUCH OF MY LIFE TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOMEONE WHO STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH FIRST RESPONDERS, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE RISK THAT CO COMES WITH THAT.
CALLING THE LOSS OF JUSTIN FROM OUR LIVES IS A SOBERING REMINDER OF THE SACRIFICES OUR FIRST RESPONDERS MAKE EVERY DAY.
I REMEMBER HEARING THE NEWS OF JUSTIN'S PASSING AND FEELING NOT JUST SADNESS, BUT AN OVERWHELMING SENSE OF GRATITUDE FOR HIS SERVICE AND COUNTLESS LIVES HE INSPIRED.
TODAY WITH THIS HONORARY RENAMING, WE PRESERVE JUSTIN'S LEGACY IN A VERY PLACE WHERE HIS STORY BEGAN.
THIS STRETCH OF ROAD OUTSIDE OF WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL WILL STAND AS A LASTING TRIBUTE TO HIS BRAVERY AND SELFLESSNESS.
EVERY STUDENT, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBOR WHO PASSES THIS WAY WILL KNOW HIS NAME AND REMEMBER HIS SACRIFICE.
IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS SERVES AS A GESTURE THAT OFFERS COMFORT TO JUSTIN'S LEGACY AND HIS FAMILY, AND SERVES AS A CONSTANT REMINDER TO ALL OF US, THE COURAGE THAT IT TAKES TO SERVE OTHERS.
JUSTIN'S STORY IS NOT JUST ONE OF LOSS, BUT IT'S ONE OF INSPIRATION.
HIS LEGACY CALLS ON US TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE, TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, AND TO HONOR THOSE WHO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR SAFETY.
LET US COME TO TOGETHER TODAY, NOT JUST IN MOURNING, BUT WITH GRATITUDE AND CELEBRATION OF A LIFE SO BEAUTIFULLY LIVED AND A SACRIFICE SO SELFLESSLY.
GIVEN MAY JUSTIN PUTNAM'S NAME AND HIS MEMORY CONTINUE TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF LEADERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND EVERYDAY HEROES.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE JAMIE PUTNAM UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA.
I'M JAMIE PUTNAM, JUSTIN'S MOM, AND WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL AND HONORED BY BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE HIS LEGACY.
UM, I THINK JUSTIN'S APPRECIATION FOR THE WESTWOOD COMMUNITY AND THE EDUCATION HE HAD REALLY INCREASED AFTER HE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND, AND GOT, UH, TO SEE SOME OF THE REAL WORLD, AS HE CALLED IT.
HE FELT LIKE WESTWOOD WAS A BIT OF A BUBBLE.
UM, HE DISCOVERED AND, UH, HE WOULD, HE WOULD REFER TO IT AS THE SCHOOL OF SOFT KNOCKS IN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER.
SO, UH, BUT IT DID GIVE HIM AN APPRECIATION FOR THE PRIVILEGE THAT HE HAD HAD TO BE EDUCATED HERE AND TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT WAS SO SUPPORTIVE, UM, AND, AND WAS REALLY PART OF HIM LEARNING TO BECOME A SERVANT.
AND AFTER HIS DEATH, WE HEARD FROM MANY WESTWOOD CLASSMATES ABOUT THINGS THAT HE HAD DONE AND HELPED AND DEFENDED INDIVIDUALS, UM, CLASSMATES THAT WE HAD NO IDEA HAD HAPPENED.
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HAD A WAY OF SERVING, UM, WITH AN INCREDIBLY HUMBLE ATTITUDE.HE NEVER, HE NEVER WANTED RECOGNITION.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT HE WOULD BE A BIT EMBARRASSED, BUT, UH, ABSOLUTELY HONORED AND HUMBLED BY THIS RECOGNITION.
SO WE JUST APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE AND, AND ACKNOWLEDGING HIS LEGACY AND, UM, AND THE, THE DIFFICULTIES THAT, UH, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT FACES EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TODAY.
UM, IF THE MEDIA HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, SO I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE ARE ANY, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO'S OUT HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE JUSTIN'S LIFE OF SELFLESSNESS AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I COULD THINK OF NO BETTER THING THAN TO SEE HIS NAME EVERY TIME I TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL OR, UM, ANYTIME ANYBODY ELSE CAN SEE THAT, TO RECOGNIZE HIS SERVICE TO US.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF, KIND OF THING YOU LIKE TO BRING TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
WHY DID THIS ONE STAND OUT TO YOU SO MUCH? YEAH, SO, UM, I WILL SAY THE QUESTION WAS, THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT'S KIND OF IN MY WHEELHOUSE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BRING FORWARD, BUT WHY DID THIS ONE STICK OUT? SO I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 2005 HERE AT WESTWOOD.
I WENT TO SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME THAT JUSTIN WAS THERE.
I'M SURE WE PASSED EACH OTHER IN THE HALLWAYS, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW HIM WHEN HE DID PASS IN 2020.
UM, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING.
MY SISTER CALLED ME AND SHE SAID, MY CLASSMATE PASSED AWAY.
UM, IT, IT'S TRAGIC THESE THINGS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN, BUT THEY DO.
AND SO WHEN I GOT ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND I STARTED TALKING TO MY FRIEND BEN ABEL AGAIN, HE BROUGHT THIS UP AS A POSSIBLE IDEA OF SOMETHING I COULD DO.
AND I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT WITH HELP OF MY TEAM AT CITY HALL AND MY COLLEAGUES.
WE PASSED THIS UNANIMOUSLY IN OCTOBER.
IT WAS THE FINAL POLICY THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD, AND I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE THIS AS PART OF THE LEGACY OF SERVICE THAT PEOPLE FROM WESTWOOD JUST HAVE INHERENTLY IN THEM.
UH, THE STUDENT BODY THERE IS AN AMAZING STUDENT BODY AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP AT THAT SCHOOL AND, AND THE WAY THAT THEY CULTIVATE THE KIDS WHO GO THERE.
AND SO HONORING JUSTIN IN JUSTIN IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL THAT HE WENT TO WHERE HIS LIFE OF SERVICE STARTED IS IT'S AN INCREDIBLE GIFT AND I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.