Officer Shooting Unsettling
admin November 19th, 2009
This morning some of us woke up to news of an off-duty police officer who died after getting shot in his own home. His wife, mother and two kids were inside the home when several gun shots were heard in the garage. The officer got shot after arriving from work.
According to a Fox 5 reporter, it was a random act; I even heard home invasion thrown around a couple times. But, why does my gut tell me it was not a random act or home invasion, but rather someone with an axe to grind with the young officer. I think this act of violence was personal.
Police officers write tickets and arrest those who are suspected of committing crimes and most of us take that personal, but we let go because we are sensible- police officers are only doing their job.
However, it is unsettling when I read about this particular officer’s tragedy and view an RJ reader comment say, “Anytime a cop is killed is a good day.”
Really…these men and women still have family and friends who love them, they have kids, and a wife who is relieved when she hears the garage door open and shut to mean that her husband has made it home safe for one more day.
When it comes to a tragedy that strikes a police officer, it seems these men and women in uniform get less sympathy from our community.
Over the past couple of months we have had two officers die while on duty because they were speeding in their patrol car.
If it were a civilian who got killed after speeding, the community would not hold back on the outpouring of sympathy.
Yet, some people were reluctant to show compassion towards these officers because of the circumstances surrounding their deaths. We must remember that police officers are human, they have families they love, they speed, they make mistakes, and sometimes they even take a bullet in the place of someone else.
My sympathies go out to the METRO officer’s family and friends.