An Officer's Last Watch: June 25, 2015 - Sergeant Korby Kennedy, San Angelo Police Department, San Angelo TX

It is unbelievably difficult to make a post like this on two consecutive days.  On Wednesday a Hutto police officer was murdered by a fleeing felon. 

Yesterday, Sergeant Korby Kennedy, San Angelo PD, was escorting a parade of boats that were being taken to the boat races to be held this weekend.  As the procession made its way down Knickerbocker, a vehicle pulled out of a parking lot and drove directly into Sergeant Kennedy's motorcycle.  The officer was transported to a nearby hospital but died a short time later.

May God be with his family, his friends, and the officers of the San Angelo Police Department who have lost a colleague.

Rest in peace, Sergeant Kennedy, and join the Thin Blue Line over Yonder.

End Of Watch: June 24, 2015 Sergeant Christopher Kelley, Hutto Police Department, Hutto, TX

Today Sergeant Christopher Kelley of the Hutto, Texas Police Department was murdered as he and other officers attempted to arrest a wanted felon.  Although details are sketchy, there was a struggle during the attempted arrest and the felon was able to get into one of the patrol vehicles on the scene.  This brave criminal deliberately ran over Sergeant Kelley in order to escape.  He was arrested a short time later but the officer died of injuries sustained during this felonious assault with a vehicle.

Sergeant Kelley had served with the Hutto Police Department for eleven years.  Before that, he served in the United States Air Force.  He leaves behind his widow and two children, and his brothers and sisters in blue.

Rest In Peace, Sergeant Kelley, and take your place in the Thin Blue Line over there.

Punish A Murderer, Don't Ban A Flag

A man full of hate and loaded up with legal drugs murdered nine people, and let another live after making racial slurs and delusional statements.  Then he ran away into the night, to be captured on the following day.  When this man did his hating and his killing, he wrapped himself in the cover of what to many has come to be known as the "Confederate Flag."  This man was a warped, cowardly individual who murdered several sweet, good people who were guilty of nothing.  But this coward hated Black people and he killed those people, his own townspeople.  I would like to state again, THIS coward killed those people, BUT the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia DID NOT KILL ANYONE!

No, the famous (or infamous) "Confederate Flag," hated symbol that it may be to some people, did not kill those people in Charleston.  Nor did the hateful ideas of racism and bigotry kill them.  Again, it was a cowardly man who will now hide behind his need for medication that killed those people.  I bring out this point because the Constitution of the United States, the very document that affirms freedom for all Americans, also affirms the right of any American to believe and express himself or herself in any way he or she may like, as long as the person does not physically harm another.  Muslims in America who shout hate and murder are protected, in their speech and beliefs, by the laws of this land.  The Ku Klux Klan, an organization that I wish someday would go away forever, have the right to say all kinds of things which most people do not agree with, nor even want to hear, and their speech is protected by the Constitution, the law of this land.  Americans for years have had the ringing words of hatred from Louis Farrakhan flung in their face on the nightly news, and before that Malcolm X.  I personally DO NOT like the Klan, or any other group or individual, that spouts out hate and denigrates others, that revels with pride in their hatred of others. BUT I DO AGREE with their right to say those things, and that includes their right to fly flags that express their opinions, from Black Power to that hated battle flag of the Northern Virginia Army.

The cowardly murders in Charleston have led to the call by many to "ban" the display of the "Confederate Flag" anywhere, in any form, by anyone.  I do not have the perspective that some have, of being descendants of those who were so brutally mistreated for so long, and I do not have their perspective of hatred for what some consider to be the "symbol of slavery."  But I can understand why many Americans of color do not want to see this flag displayed.  And because I understand it, I have to say to them, please take a little while to breathe, to grieve, to be angry (rightly so), but then step back and step under the Constitution again.  In spite of terrible crimes committed in the name of one cause or another, the Constitution remains, at least for now, the law of the land.  In spite of how some people may feel about one flag or another, about one group or another, about free expression, the fact is we live in a land where differences, including different beliefs, are both tolerated and protected by law.

Having said all the above, I do not understand why a couple of states continue to use a Confederate flag as their state flag.  The Constitution limits our government in its constraint of the people, not the other way around.  Therefore, I have to wonder why states that reaffirmed their statehood after a long and bloody war still insist that the flag in question must be a part of state government.  Remember, an individual has the right to post any flag he wants on his on property, on his car, on his gatepost, or wherever else he wants, and this right is protected by the Constitution of the United States.  But a state government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and FOR the people.  In this light, I can and do understand why a significant number of people, Black, White, and other "colors" do not want and can no longer tolerate a flag that symbolizes hatred for so many to be a part of a legitimate government's state flag or seal.  I can understand why a Black person might feel a sense of hesitation and intimidation when the person must walk under this flag to walk into a state building, a building that belongs to ALL the people.  In this regard, I understand and support the movement to eliminate the Confederate Flag from a state's official government trappings. 

Yet, no matter how I feel about the Confederate Flag, I say again that this flag in and of itself did not murder, nor did it LEAD to the murder of, all those good people.  And as unpopular as these sentiments may be, I do not support the "banning" of the Confederate Flag from use by individuals.  I myself am somewhat offended by seeing flags of other nations flying at homes and businesses in and around the Midland area.  I do not like seeing flags of other nations displayed as stickers on automobiles.  But, I understand that these people, Americans JUST LIKE ME, have the right to express themselves, including displaying flags or images of flags that I personally do not want to see.  And in fact, these symbols, these things I - and many others - may not want to see, did not kill anyone.  So, as distasteful is this sentiment may be, a ban on the Confederate Flag or any other flag is intolerable in the United States of America.  But murder of innocent people, for any reason, is intolerable as well.  So let the Constitution cover free speech, whether we like that speech or not, and let the American justice system not fail, but deal with this dangerous man, so that he never see the light of day outside a jail cell again.

May God bless those who are mourning for their loved ones tonight, and may God Bless America.

 









 

The Murderer Killed People In Charleston, But Failed To Kill The Spirit Or The Faith

I am still in shock...and I was not even there!  Nor were any of my relatives or loved ones murdered.  But I am still in shock, nonetheless.   But I am also a realist, in part because of my personality, and in part because of my years in law enforcement.  I have long understood that "anything can happen anywhere, anytime."  Along with that mantra is another, "nowhere is absolutely safe."  But one place where most of us want to believe we are safe is at "church." 

The truth is we are usually at less risk inside a church building than we are at most other places.  Unfortunately there have been many incidents over the years that have shown us we are not absolutely safe even "at church."   Tornadoes have struck church buildings while people were inside having services.  Church buildings have caught fire and have been hit by flash floods, with lives lost and other lives torn apart.  Other tragedies have struck churches as well, including murder.

But the murder...the KILLING...of those nine loving and beautiful people in Charleston by a person who had worshipped with them just before shooting them...that was truly a shocking event.  And even though I (and you, most likely) was not directly impacted by this senseless violence, I am still subdued and saddened.  I cannot imagine what the families of these people are feeling, what they are going through, the treasures that were taken from them by this young man whose name I refuse even to write on this page.

And yes, this latest horror was appalling for two reasons: one, because it happened; and two, because of the killer's motive.  Regardless of all the "reasons" that will be espoused trying to demonstrate that this killer was emotionally unstable, on medication, was treated poorly in school, did not have good parents, etc., ad nauseam, he...and he alone, made the decision to kill those people.  Maybe all of these things are true of this man, but in the United States there are, I am sure, thousands of people with all these same "disadvantages" who do not go around murdering people at church.  And yes, murder BLACK people.  This murderer's deliberate and intentional targets were Black (or person of color, if you prefer) Christians.  That motive adds another layer of disgust and anger...and senselessness...to this terrible deed.

In the days since this happened, I have been reminded of another senseless killing of Black worshippers that happened in a town called Selma.  Four little girls were murdered by a bomber and his co-plotters.  I do not know if the bomber in 1963 "suffered" from mental illness or any of the other "disadvantages" that some are ascribing to this latest murderer, but I know that the bomber then ALSO spread racial slurs and hatred just as Wednesday's killer did.  The Selma bomber wanted to kill Black Americans and wanted to enlist other White Americans into the widespread, institutionalized racism that was prevalent at the time.  But the killing of those four little girls so disgusted and enraged WHITE Americans (as it obviously did Black Americans) that public sentiment shifted, eventually making way for the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Act.

People all over the nation feel a lot of rage toward this man who Wednesday dealt out so much tragedy.   But in the wake of these murders, I have seen something else.  I hate to be so trite as to call it the "silver lining" and I will not, but it is a very amazing thing to me.  Maybe it should not be, though.  That amazing thing is the outpouring of forgiveness that the people (the Church) have shown toward this killer.  Amazing grace.  I have to say I am not as good a Christian as the people that make up the AME Church of Charleston, South Carolina.  Maybe in a few decades I would be able even to just utter the word "forgiveness," but these true Christians, in the midst of their grief, anger, and probably some passing moments of hatred, were able to tell this man in court that they, and God, forgave him. 

The words of those mourning their dead robbed this man of his goal, and offered him their love in place of his murderous rage. And here I was reminded of those words in the Good Book, "Oh death, where is your sting?  Satan, where is your victory?"  You, murderer, hoped to kill the faith of these people, and your delusional self thought you could instigate a racial war.  You caused heartbreak and tragedy, grieving and sadness, that is true.  But you did not rob those you killed of their reward in the Good Shepherd, and you did not rob the survivors of their faith in God.  You stood there today in arrogant silence as the loved ones told you what you had taken from them, but I believe you must have been so disappointed that you did not ignite racial hatred...instead you brought the people of this hurting but solidly-grounded church, the city of Charleston, and many Americans across this land, closer together than ever.

So I ask you, Murderer, where is your victory?  Killer, where is your sting? 

As you sit in jail, and later in prison, I hope you spend hours, days, and years mulling over this one great, undeniable fact....YOU FAILED. You failed in every single thing you wanted to accomplish with your act of murder and rage. 

May God have mercy on your soul.



   

McKinney Police Sergeant Placed on Administrative Leave Acted Responsibly and Safely....No One Injured Or Killed

Here is something that might shock some people, particularly (it appears) the parents and teens of the most recent generation, and that is that the police (as does ANYONE) have the right to defend themselves if they fear for their lives or the lives of others. AND, as the ultimate peacekeepers, police as our protectors have no duty to retreat before using deadly force. If a cop arrests a "teen" and is then approached by a crowd of other "teens" (as the news often refers to subjects like the young man that started it all in Ferguson) who attempt to free the arrested person and threaten the officer, that officer is justified in protecting himself.  But once again, in McKinney this time, an officer is suspended for pointing his weapon at "a group of unarmed teens" who were approaching him in an attempt to free a young lady he had arrested.  And it has already spread nationwide, with thousands of "comments" on this story wherein the officer is called all sorts of names, insulted, and called incompetent.   The people "demanding" and getting an investigation, meanwhile an officer is "on administrative leave" and this will be a part of his record whether or not he violated a policy or broke a state law, and be sure this incident will be brought up every time this particular officer arrests someone and has to use even minimum force to do so.

Here is something even more shocking about the "incident" at McKinney.  The very video cited by so many as showing the brutality of the particular police sergeant as he arrested a resisting female (yes, who was only fourteen and was unarmed - the sergeant at no time pointed his weapon at her) in fact shows the sergeant used only the force necessary to handle two situations; 1) a noncompliant but obviously unarmed person; and 2) escalating force when the danger suddenly became life-threatening to the officer himself.  Then the officer immediately de-escalates to minimal force as he finishes arresting the female.  So the video clearly shows the sergeant attempting to handcuff the girl while verbally demanding her cooperation, and the girl clearly does not comply or submit to arrest.  Ultimately the sergeant takes her to the ground rather forcefully and when he does so she immediately stops resisting, whereupon the sergeant stops directing physical force against her.  At that point two "teens" (in the same meaning as "teen" that the media applied to Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri) approach the officer rapidly and in obviously menacing manner.  The officer rightly draws his weapon TO PROTECT HIMSELF and the "teens" (apparently suddenly deciding they are at the wrong end of the weapon) run away into the crowd.  The sergeant immediately holsters his weapon and returns his attention to the young lady.

A very telling thing is that residents of the neighborhood association made it clear in both comments and in signs and notes left at the swimming pool that they supported the action of the police in stopping the fight and in clearing the pool of unauthorized persons.  Keep in mind this was a private pool owned by the neighborhood association with very clear rules about who could use the pool and    particularly about how many "guests" per owner could be at the pool at a given time.  In this situation someone had decided to have a party and invited significantly more people than was allowed by pool rules.  Since the pool was private property, the people who had legal use of the pool had every right to call the police to enforce criminal trespass laws.  The police got more calls as they responded, indicating that the boisterous party had suddenly turned into a fight involving several people.  It appears from the several newscasts I watched today that some news venues tried as hard as possible to make this situation into a racial battle.  This "incident" in fact was actually a relatively minor incident that is repeated daily during the summer across the nation as persons make the poor choice to trespass onto private property or to ignore rules that they themselves agreed upon.

Unfortunately, another very telling thing is the McKinney Chief of Police's decision to place the sergeant on administrative leave specifically because the sergeant drew his gun and pointed it at two large individuals who were clearly NOT teens and were equally clearly intent on attacking the officer.  The officer warned (by pointing his weapon) these two men, and they made the very wise choice of breaking away from the officer and vacating the area.  The sergeant immediately holstered his weapon.  This was classic, textbook police training in action.  Unlike the officer now charged with murder in another state, this sergeant pointed his weapon, the threat to his life ended, and he did not discharge his weapon into the back of a person attempting merely to elude detention.  This is what cops do every day somewhere in the United States.  The police chief should have been supportive of the officer, should have cited his training and restraint, and should have then said "case closed."  What has the sergeant done in other cases? I don't know.  In this case, though, he reacted as any normal, sane police officer would, or SHOULD, and defended himself with the minimum force necessary - the sight of his drawn and aimed weapon.   

Black lives matter...yes they do.  So do White lives....Hispanic Lives...and EVERY LIFE...including those of police officers who strive to do their jobs, but mostly they strive to go home ALIVE at the end of each tour of duty.

I support the many honest and brave police officers who carry on in spite of all that they face each day....

I do not support dishonest, arrogant, brutal police officers and I do support the prosecution of police officers who have truly broken the trust placed in them when they were given their sacred shield.

God Bless America

God keep police and correctional officers safe...

and ...may God keep the criminals as safe as they will allow themselves to be, especially when they make stupid decisions....but I pray that no cop's life be exchanged for that of any criminal...