Any loss of life in a police-citizen confrontation is a tragedy. Serious questions can be raised as to whether most of the high-profile cases was necessary, however there are no questions as to the reasonableness of the actions of the officer.
The real tragedy comes in the aftermath for the officers who have been involved in use of deadly force.
It begins with Officer Darren Wilson, who voluntarily resigned from the Ferguson, Mo. Police Department citing threats against the members of the department. In the next two years Wilson was only able to find employment as a grocery bagger. That job lasted only two weeks because the business and Wilson were receiving regular threats.
After being found not guilty in a trial in Tulsa, Ok., Officer Betty Shelby was relegated to a desk in a windowless office by the Police Department. When her frustration peeked, she tendered her resignation, stating that she had not become a police officer to “push paper.”
Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez accepted a buyout from the St. Anthony, Mn. After being found not guilty in a trial.
Chief Janee Harteau was forced out of her job as the Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department over an incident which occurred while she was at home sleeping. In a statement to the media, Harteau said she resigned in the best interest of the future of the Police Department.
Raymond Tensing was fired from the University of Cincinnati Department of Public Safety after the shooting of an African-American man during a traffic stop. Tensing endured two trials, both of which ended with a divided jury. Tensing continues to receive threats to his safety and his future is uncertain.
Political considerations clearly outweigh the individuals who have been cleared of wrongdoing by a trial or a grand jury and that is inherently unfair. It begs the question of why anyone would want to serve as a law enforcement officer in the current environment.
Love this Barry! Right on point!