Interesting article in the Standard Examiner this morning on the review of the incident that left one member of the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force dead and five other officers critically wounded. While the report summarized a lack of preparation on the part of the Strike Force for the ensuing gun battle, it also found the officers were completely justified in the use of force after Matthew David Stewart opened fire. Its been two and a half years since the incident, and this is the first article that has praised those officers for their bravery and brotherhood as they tried to help each other to safety under heavy fire by Stewart. My questions to the Standard Examiner are: Why did it take so long to honor all those officers, and why was the vocal minority so prominently covered in the last two years? Did SE editors finally grow a backbone? I want to personally thank Weber County Attorney, Dee Smith, for his unfailing support of all the police and his determination for the public see through the bias of the media. But mostly, I want to thank those officers who knowingly put themselves in harms way every day in upholding the law. This community would do well to remember the examples of Jared Francom who died from his injuries, Kasey Burrell, Shawn Grogan, Michael Rounkles, Jason Vanderwarf and Nate Hutchinson, all of whom have returned to their respective police forces. The miracle of this tragedy is that those brave men continue to protect and serve. God bless them and their families.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:51:20 +0000