Police Officers Shot & Killed On the Job
4th of November 2016
I waited to write anything on this because I wanted to get it right. This is a subject that has been touchy most recently. Earlier this week, two officers in the Des Moines Metro were shot and killed in an ambush like attack. One was an Urbandale officer, and the other was a Des Moines officer. I didn't know what to think about this at first. I've been having trouble thinking about how to react, and that scared me. I wanted to feel compassion for the slain officers as well as their families and friends. What about the shooter? Who cares about him right now? I'm more worried about how the families will move on and if other officers are in danger. The only thing I cared about the shooter was whether he was captured or not.
The day the officers were shot was on the same day as Game Seven of the World Series. I got to thinking about the officers. I was wondering dumb things. Were they fans of baseball? If so, who was their team? What do they do when they're not working? What got them into law enforcement? I'll only know the answers by their fellow law enforcement family or families at home. I was confused as to why I was hiding my feelings about this situation. After all, they were human just like the rest of us. Two human beings just trying to do something good for the cities they served.
So why was I confused about it? We have entered a day and age where everyone voices their opinion about anything going on. Most of them are uneducated and without research. Just gut feelings. I've seen people say that it's racist to say "Blue Lives Matter." I disagree with that. I don't feel it's any more racist than saying "Black Lives Matter." I get behind both causes hoping that one day they'll come together. However, this shooting was carried out by a man who at one time at a football game waved a confederate flag in front of a group of black people. This was a high school football game might I add. The officers he shot and killed were white as well. The facts about this case are scarce because they don't want to jeopardize the investigation. What we have been told is that it was an ambush style with both officers not knowing it was going to happen. They couldn't have done anything to prevent or defend themselves. So here are some more facts. Every police officer puts his or her life on the line to keep us safe. The biggest danger I fear of coming to work is an idiot running a red light and hitting me whether I'm driving or biking. I don't have the fear of someone shooting at me. I don't put on a bullet proof vest everyday. I don't carry a gun. Police officers do all of this in hopes of making it home to their families at the end of their work day. The day this happened, I was busy at work covering the news on these killings. When I went home, I got a message from a friend of mine who works at the jail. He asked me if it was ridiculous that he had no hatred in his heart for the shooter. I told him that it was not ridiculous. The world is full of enough hate. We all hate what he did, but hating him won't undo any of it. The best we can do is make sure it doesn't happen again by him or anyone else. He replied that his brothers and sisters (referring to fellow officers) don't see it that way. I told him that they are angry and have every right to be. They're healing. I told him to help them heal. They have open wounds, and when we have open wounds, that's when we're the most defensive and aggressive. He seemed happy with that. I hope he was because I strongly believe that. It's hate that drives some people to kill or do anything irrational.
I know it's hard to be a law enforcement official, but I don't know how hard. The only ones that do know are the ones in law enforcement and their families. They have a sworn duty to keep everyone safe. They don't get to pick or choose who they get to help. They have to help even the ones that get underneath their skin. Even the ones that despise everything about law enforcement officials. The degenerates that spit on them, throw rocks or other projectile at them. Yet, day in and day out, they still come to a thankless job.
In writing this, I give my thanks to the the two officers for their sacrifice, service and dedication to keeping us all safe. I thank every officer for the same as well. Every run I go to, I don't know if they're assigned to go there or not, but I see police officers there along the routes to keep traffic from entering the routes. They're always at any sporting event, again, whether they're assigned or not. They're always present to make sure danger isn't present. If it is, they're the ones running towards it and not away from it. I see some of what they do to keep me safe, but I don't think for a minute that I see all of what they do. For that, I thank them.
Also, in writing this, this violence needs to stop. I'll write in another article about how to stop it because I want this one to be about the law enforcement and the two that died while on duty. I don't think it's too much to ask to get along with everyone regardless of disagreement. Let's just stop hating and pointing fingers. Open up those hands that are pointing, and offer a handshake. Let go of any hate. Be angry if you must, but get past that anger. We're only killing each other. If you want to contribute to the memorial accounts, click here and it will take you to the Des Moines Police Officer's Credit Union.
