Do Police Officers Only Care About Other Officers?

Photo Credit   Author:  Ben Schumin  License: Creative Commons

As someone whose father spent 10 honorable years in the military then served 32 years as a city police officer outside of Boston, I've spent about 30 years of my life around police officers and their families. I actually loved police officers. Always thought the police would keep me safe, help me when I'm in trouble, protect me from bad guys. That's what I always thought.

Sadly, I've seen a change in police that makes it nearly impossible for me to defend them or their behavior. From their para-military personas to video-taped beatings to the seemingly constant rights violations, police have become an entity to be feared. I hate to say it, but I'm getting more afraid of the police and worry about what will happen if I call them for help or I drive over the speed limit or I don't act the way they expect me to act.  

I recently saw a video of an elderly woman with dementia and sensory aphasia (the inability to understand words) who left Walmart without paying for about $13.00 worth of goods. The police found her walking along the road, picking wildflowers. When the confused woman did not follow police commands, the officer threw her to the ground several times, broke her arm, dislocated her shoulder, hogtied her like an animal, and arrested her. By the way, the woman only weighed 80 pounds. Later, the officers were videotaped at the police station, watching this poor woman's arrest video while laughing and fist pumping each other while the injured, elderly woman sat handcuffed to a bench without medical care. What if I get dementia in my old age? Is this what the police will do to me?

This week was enlightening in the worst possible way as we learned what police officers really think about the life of anyone who is not a police officer as I compared recent news stories and police reactions to the death of two people. One was a police officer killed by a civilian. The other was a civilian killed by a police officer.  

 

-On Saturday, September 16, 2023, a 30-year-old deputy sheriff was shot and killed by a civilian while sitting in his patrol car. No one knows why the person shot him. This is a tragic loss that effects this young officer's friends, family, co-workers, and the community at large. This is a Tragedy. 

Police Reaction to a Civilian killing an Officer

The tragedy was reported to the public immediately. 

Flags were ordered flown at half-staff at the California State Capitol. 

A vigil was held outside the Palmdale Sheriff's Office for the fallen deputy. It included fire engines lining the street and a sheriff's helicopter flying overhead. Community leaders, law enforcement personnel, and local residents attended. 

The Sheriff said he will use every resource that the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office has to apprehend the shooter. 

The mayor of Palmdale, California was on the news and vowed that the shooter would be caught. 

Authorities offered a $250,000 dollar reward to anyone who assisted in finding the shooter.  

Police arrested a suspect within 48 hours of the shooting. 

The Sheriff said it really didn't matter to him that the suspect has a history of mental illness. 

-On Monday, January 23, 2023, a 23-year-old graduate student was hit and killed in a cross walk by a police officer who was speeding to an urgent call. This is a tragic loss that effects this young woman's friends, family, co-workers, and the community at large. This is a Tragedy. 

Police Reaction to an Officer killing a Civilian

The tragedy was not reported to the public for 8 months. 

The officer at the scene is heard blaming the victim for not staying back where she should before crossing. 

A fellow officer sent to investigate the scene deemed the officer not impaired and verbally dismissed implications that the officer was reckless or driving out of control. 

The investigating officer is heard on his own body camera during a phone conversation heartily laughing when he says the young woman is dead. 

The investigating officer is heard on his own body camera during a phone conversation saying the victim had limited value

The investigating officer is heard on his own body camera during a phone conversation saying to just write a check for $11,000 to cover the death, then he is heard laughing again.  

The body camera footage was viewed by an employee of the Seattle Police Department who reported it to the Chief of Police. 

The video of the investigating officer's comments was not released to the public until September of 2023, eight months after the woman's death. 

A vigil was held downtown in the city of Fremont. Three community leaders, several minority advocacy groups, and local residents attended. No law enforcement officers attended, no fire engines lined the street, and no police helicopters flew overhead.

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/17/1200073197/-250k-reward-offered-for-assailant-who-shot-los-angeles-county-sheriffs-deputy

https://abcnews.go.com/US/seattle-officer-joking-pedestrian-death/story?id=103130361

https://www.outlookindia.com/national/jaahnavi-kandula-s-death-comments-taken-out-of-context-says-seattle-police-officers-guild-news-318482 

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/09/17/i-could-just-see-this-light-inside-him-fallen-la-county-sheriffs-deputy-ryan-clinkunbroomer-honored-at-vigil/amp/

https://eastbayecho.com/2023/09/17/fremont-vigil-for-jaanhavi-kandula-draws-dozens/

 https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=woman+with+dementia+stole+from+walmart+and+got+her+arm+broken+by+police