Local Police Shooting

Law enforcement comes in for all kinds of criticism, some justified. Overuse of S.W.A.T teams, bad policies, bad tactics, asset forfeiture scams, and the rest. Think many, including myself, forget how dangerous the job can be. A sobering event yesterday brought that home.

We had arranged to meet for breakfast, a small family type gathering. Arriving at the restaurant, we found the side and back to be part of a crime scene.

Seems there was a call from a motel parking lot after midnight, “man with a gun”. Officers arrive, and the offender fires at them. A running gunfight began that went on for nearly two blocks until the offender was shot by a police officer.

This happened in the alley alongside the restaurant. Looking out the window, you could see the offender’s pistol (slide locked back and magazines removed), blood stained clothing; wallet, handcuffs, and a chest high blood smear on the brick wall across from the restaurant.  An officer was in his car at the mouth of the alley preserving the scene.

The offender was transported to a local hospital where he later died. He was out of jail on a $75,000 bond, several charges, including felonies, that he was awaiting trial, and a long criminal record for a man in his twenties.

One in our breakfast party is a 20 year + LEO with another agency. First question, “Is the officer ok”? Second question, “Where is the offender”?

No question in my mind that the officers involved put their lives on the line to protect the public. That type of action is probably many times over more common than the misconduct we read about. We need to applaud the good, while not ignoring the bad, IMO.