Whats on my mind FB asks. Well I dont often do this, but here comes a rant. I keep reading over and over again how all cops are bad, theyre all prejudiced against minorities, theyre crazy blood thirsty killers on a power trip. Ive tried hard to avoid this, but it keeps rolling back onto my feed and I cant sit silently any longer. I fully understand it is not a majority of the population that feels this way, but I have been surprised by the number of FB friends who have expressed these feelings. It turns my stomach to think of all I sacrificed over 22 yrs while busting my ass, walking straight into danger and protecting the innocent from the evil only to be judged in such a way. First as a patrol officer volunteering to work the toughest neighborhoods in Houston from 11 at night until 7 in the morning for 9 years. Then 13 yrs as a detective working murders, kidnappings and officer involved shootings. I ran my own murder warrants, kicking doors to go into the den of the murders and bring them to justice. I was assaulted, had knives pulled on me and found myself on the wrong end of a gun too many times. Yes, I shot suspects. I did not want to and got no thrill out of doing so. During those years in Homicide I worked dozens of officer involved shootings and never met a single officer that got any kind of joy or thrill out of shooting someone. It is an extremely hard thing to deal with no matter the circumstances. After one particular shooting I awoke to nightmares for a long time. The man charged me with a butcher knife and I killed him. I did so after he had stabbed a citizen and threatened others. I had no choice as he tried to plunge that 9 knife into my chest. Each dream was about whether I couldve done something different. The dreams finally ended when one night I didnt shoot him and the knife entered my chest. I awoke with a very real physical pain. From that point I was somewhat at peace. August 9th was 27 yrs since that night and it still manages to creep into my mind during quiet times. Yes, I remember the date. I sacrificed my physical and mental health as well as missed untold numbers of birthdays and family gatherings to go out and do my duty, often working around the clock on a fresh case knowing the more time passed the further away the crook was getting. My last Christmas Eve on the department was spent standing over two dead men who argued over a woman at a club. Their solution was to shoot each other. There was snow on the ground in Houston on Christmas for the first time in my lifetime and I wasnt there when my kids woke up Christmas morning. My only solace is knowing that I did it the right way as did my partners and hundreds of other officers I worked with over the years. I witnessed untold acts of bravery as well as compassion and kindness from these officers. I put many, many evil and vile human beings in prison, including sending a few to death row, in hopes that the rest of you could sleep well at night. I didnt do it for the money, the thanks or any kind of power trip. I did it because I was called to it and felt it was the right thing to do. Think what you want, I cant change that, but know that there are thousands of good cops out there right now keeping you and every other law abiding citizen safe. They do not require your adulation or thanks, but they do rightfully expect your respect for the job that they do. Sure there are bad apples, but the good cops hate them worse than you do. Unfortunately every profession has them from priests to lawyers and doctors. That will never change, but to blame all for the actions of a very few is plain wrong. It is doing exactly what you accuse the police of doing, being prejudiced. Now back to fishing and riding circles on my tractor with the calm assurance that I have earned my retirement and I did it right.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 23:52:51 +0000
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