Quote:I deplore the killing of anyone. Period.

 

However, I am not you, and not in your situation. Self defense is just that. The courts will settle it. 

 

This discussion is about police officers though. Not a person with one kidney being punched in the kidney. I think it's reasonable to approach the two from different sets of standards.

 

You're right, it is about police officers.  Many people don't know what these men and women really do and go through.  I've lived it and seen it.  I not only had to see people taking their last breath after putting a gun to their head and pulling the trigger, I also had to go into homes that were horrible and see roaches scurrying around the food that was being fed to children.

 

Many times I have been asked about what the toughest or most dangerous position that I was in as a Deputy Sheriff.  My answer surprises many and they often get a different perspective of what police officers do for us.

 

The worst for me happened at night, just before schools let out for the summer and graduation parties were on the horizon.  I got a call to a traffic accident, and it turns out that there was a fatality involved.  It was a 17 year old male who was going to graduate in just a few short weeks.

 

Since I was the first officer on the scene, it was part of my job to inform the next-of-kin, in this case it turns out that it was his mother.  When we got to the address with the Chaplain with us, we found a note on the door.  I'll never forget the words that were scribbled on that door.

 

Person, this is the last time that I am going to cover your paper route for you.

 

The word "last" was underlined twice.  We had to wait until she got home.  As it turned out, she was a single mother and I had to tell her that her 17 year old son was dead.  It was perhaps the hardest thing that I've ever had to do.  I'll never forget that day.  I was supposed to be "off shift" at 7am, but we waited until she returned to the apartment (I don't remember the exact time).

 

It wasn't long after that when I left law enforcement.  I had seen a lot of death and tragedies and had been in several "fights" while trying to bring down criminals, but that experience really affected me.

 

So when I see people be so "against" what police officers do, I tend to be pretty biased.

---