Two more innocent officers shot while sitting patrol cars

[Clipper]

www.wktv.com/news/Two_police_officers_shot_ambush-style_in_Iowa.html

It is a frightening turn in the safety and security of our country when our police officers are being gunned down in random acts across the country, while innocently sitting in their patrol vehicles, unaware of the coming acts of violence that will take their lives.

It may seem racist, politically incorrect or whatever, but I attribute some of the disrespect for the law and for law enforcement to the present administration, today's liberal attitudes, and the lack of support given in the defense of police officers and law enforcement in general.

It is a sad state of affairs when a person whose desire it is to serve and protect the public is exposed to such horrific acts of violence while simply sitting in their car on routine patrol.

How can anyone question why police officers are on edge and quick to use their gun? How can anyone who has ever carried a weapon for self defense question why officers shoot when they suspect that a person has a weapon and that their life is in jeopardy? I have to think that we are approaching a point in time when all officers need to ride in pairs to protect each other. We are approaching a time when EVERY stop will justify police having their weapon drawn when approaching a suspect until the suspect has been patted down and found to be without a weapon. I firmly believe that although the danger is present for all officers, city or rural, departments need to send more than one officer to answer calls and complaints in urban areas, and areas where police are not looked upon as a positive force for good by the neighborhood folks.

[dave]

I suppose this comment comes under the heading of "I've got a mouth, doesn't an opinion go with it?" If for no other reason than that, here's my take on why the police have turned into targets and scapegoats. the health and safety of police officers used to be protected by laws with hefty penalties. No more. Today the police are no longer protected as they once were. Once can engage in endless argument as to whether they at least in part brought that upon themselves, of course, but the point is they are not very popular with the public these days.

[Clipper]

Just this morning I watched a spot on the Today show that concerned a Pepsi commercial that debuted yesterday. The commercial stars Kendall Jenner. She is attending a Black Lives Matter protest with a cute guy when she abandons the protest, takes off a blonde wig, works her way through the crowd and hands a cold Pepsi to one of the officers on the police line.

The commercial spawned a firestorm of negative reaction. In my somewhat biased opinion, the anti-police movement is exploding into a serious threat to not only police officers, but also to the general public, especially whites. When a demonstration escalates into a frenzy, becoming violent, out of control, and eventually spawning looting, burning, and tipping of police cars by those that use the demonstration as an "excuse" or a distraction to cover their unrelated and unjustified criminal actions, it is no longer a "peaceful" demonstration, and is certain to end badly.

Growing up in the Utica area, most of us were raised with the utmost respect for the police. The image was that portrayed by Officer Jones as he directed traffic on the busy corner, or helped the old lady across the intersection. The neighborhood officer on patrol who would stop to chat and joke with us kids as we played. Many of those officers lived in our neighborhoods and we were raised and went to school with their children. They coached our little league teams and chaperoned our boy scout camping trips. Bottom line, they were simply respected members of our community, not only as police officers, but as friends and role models.

Somewhere along the line, all of that changed. For whatever reason, it seems that parents have raised a generation of children that have no respect for anyone other than themselves. No respect for any form of authority. No respect for the rights of others, and to put it bluntly, no respect for THEMSELVES.

I was brought up with the utmost respect for police officers, and to this day I hold the majority of officers in high regard. I occasionally have shown my support for the local police agencies by simply stopping by the Bristol Police Dept. dispatch office with a couple of $5.99 Little Ceasar's pizzas, or when picking up a dozen donuts for Kathy and I, I have on a couple of occasions picked up a couple dozen extra "stereotypical" cop's favorite, donuts and dropped them off to the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department dispatch center for them to put in their break room. I simply believe in showing an up front token of appreciation to those who perform and often unappreciated service to the community.

Ahhh for the return to the days when a "demonstration" was defined by a group of unwashed flower children and hippies, staging a sit-in, protesting the war or demonstrating in support of the legalization of marijuana. No guns, no molotov cocktails, and no looting involved.

[clarencebunsen]

When I read your original post yesterday I had the TV news on and heard a mention of an officer shot from ambush in Huston. I went to Google News to read about it and it didn't make the top page. Not really news I guess.

Many years ago I worked at the Radio Shack in downtown St. Paul for a time. Like the rest of downtown we were only open one evening per week. The rest of the time we closed at 5 PM. Every day at 4:59 the beat cop came into our store and tuned the radio to WCCO from the music station we had playing. While I cleaned and dusted and the manager counted the till, he listened to 15 minutes of news. I assumed he got to take periodic warm up breaks. Walking a beat in a Minnesota winter could be frostbite danger. When we finished, we all left together, the manager and I made our bank deposit (on the same block). The manager & I went to my car and the cop continued on his beat.

I always felt safer having an armed escort while we walked that short distance with the day's cash. Of course downtown shopping and beat cops are mostly things of the past now.

[Clipper]

I don't know if it is still true, but as recently as last summer, Bristol Tn. had a beat cop that walked the streets downtown. We also have bike cops in the downtown area when weather permits. The police officers that I have encountered since moving here ALL seem very friendly and respectful. I am sure that we have a bad apple or two who abuse their authority, but they probably don't last long.

On both sides of the state line, Bristol Virginia as well as Bristol Tennessee, police officers are the crossing guards at the Bristol city schools. Before and after school there is at least one patrol car parked in every school zone with it's blue lights flashing, and two cars and officers if it is a 4 lane street with a median, to alert folks of the school zone and crossing. It is not unusual to see the officer standing on the corner with many adoring kids flocked around him as they wait to cross. The presence of the officer as well as the patrol car with it's lights activated makes it very obvious that it is a school zone and is a stern reminder to slow down and be alert to the officer directing traffic and controlling the crossing.

We also have school resource officers present in most of our schools. That is a program that exposes the children to the police officers and gives them a chance to become familiar with the officers in a casual atmosphere, while also learning respect for the police.

I know that in the Utica area the Whitesboro district utilizes school resource officers. My former brother in-law is a resource officer at Marcy Elementary School. He is a retired Oneida County Sheriff's Department Sergeant. I also know a retired State Police Officer that is a resource officer in the Whitesboro school district.

We had an incident in this area a few years back. A deranged man entered our Sullivan County Central High School with a gun and held the principal at gunpoint. The armed school resource officer intervened and stepped between the gunman and the hostage, saving the principal's life. The stand off is very unnerving to watch. Thank God Deputy Gudger was not shot. She bravely held the man at bay until other deputies responded, and they swiftly shot the man when he turned his weapon toward them. Here is a link to a Snopes article concerning the incident. www.snopes.com/politics/guns/gudger.asp

Here is another link to a video that shows real time as the incident plays out. www.guns.com/2013/01/09/sullivan-central-high-school-school-shooting-video/

Watch the video in it's entirety. It is definitely a wake up call for anyone that opposes the use of armed resource officers in the schools. Who knows how many lives were saved that day. Deputy Carolyn Gudger was amazing in her brave handling of the shooter and the stand-off. She was recognized at a ceremony in Nashville at the state capitol for her bravery and is a revered and beloved member of our community.