LAW ENFORCEMENT CRITICS SHOOT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER

It is truly amazing to see all the negative opinions from so many
individuals before all the facts are in about a subject they know
little or nothing about unless they themselves are in that position.

I refer to the position of a law enforcement officer who is fighting
for his life when combating a violent individual.

To make the assumption that a nude person that was obviously having
either some serious mental health issue or a drug or alcohol reaction,
posed no real threat and was merely seeking help, is beyond naive. The
likes of Susan Watson, an associate of the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU), and other members of the community calling for some kind
of community-funded board, paid for by taxpayers' money, before the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) investigation is
complete is unconscionable.

I have the luxury of knowing the deputy involved. Knowing his physical
condition and his mental attitude and character, his being forced to
fire his weapon was most certainly his last option for survival.

A dozen years ago I, too, experienced a similar situation with an
unarmed individual who was almost successful in arming himself
courtesy of my service revolver. I had just arrested the individual's
friend for DUI when he decided that he didn't want his friend going to
jail. I was sucker-punched between the eyes, shattering my glasses
without warning or provocation. I was knocked to the ground with the
individual violently attacking me. A back-up officer was miles away,
and I hadn't even the chance to call for help because my radio was
knocked out of my hand.

Four teenaged boys who were driving by the traffic stop jumped out of
their car and assisted me. While on the ground and on my back, one of
the teenagers screamed, "He's got your gun!" I was able to glance down
and see the individual with his hand on the grips trying to remove it
from its holster. I'm sure he would have used it not only to murder
me, but my teenage helpers as well. Luckily, with the help of the
teenagers, I was able to retain my gun, and we were able to handcuff
the individual.

This was a mere traffic arrest that didn't even involve the
individual; he was just a passenger in the car. It was his friend that
was going to jail! This just goes to show you how something so simple
can turn so deadly in a millisecond.

It appalls me when people form such strong opinions when the majority
of them, I'm sure, including many in the news media, don't have a clue
on what they are talking about. A naked "unarmed" man can kill you,
period!

There is a very good Web site, www.odmp.org. It is the Officers Down
Memorial Page. This site tells of all the officers killed in the line
of duty. It is broken down in various categories to the extent that it
explains the circumstances of their deaths. You can see the number of
officers killed in any given year and the number killed by gunfire.
The criticizers and second-guessers need to review this site and see
the number of officers who are killed by those so-called "unarmed"
suspects that take the officer's own gun. It also shows those who are
beaten and strangled with no weapons at all. They may see things just
a little differently if they took the time to review the site.

If the old phrase, "shoot first, ask questions later," ever applied to
anyone, it would be with the critics of the police, not the police
themselves.