The life of a first responder. It's dangerous and scary, but it's also rewarding. With the troubles they have on the job, plus the criticism they get from the public, why do they do what they do? What makes it worth it? This is 'The Life Of A First...
Since it's been the 1st anniversary of the Dallas shooting, July, 7th, it's come out that officers were ordered to leave their tactical vests behind. That order not only jeopardized their lives but also killed 5 as a result.
It's all because they didn't want officers to look to "militarized". Well...
Haven't we already learned this before? Yes, we have. Let me bring you back 20 years ago to the North Hollywood shooting.
Imagine...
You are on patrol thinking about your child's birthday party next week or about to stop in for your daily cup of coffee when you find yourself overseas in a second.
Rapid gunfire erupts.
Two shooters, dressed "like Ninja Turtles" as one officer later described them, stood calmly outside a bank, spewing machine gun fire at a swarm of police officers.
You and your coworkers return fire with your pistol, hiding behind a car door or tree.
Detective Gordon Hagge, one of the first officers on the scene of the shootout that morning, told the Los Angeles Times, "I'm in the wrong place with the wrong gun."
"I saw my rounds hit his black jacket, and as I shot at him, he kept coming," said retired Det. Thomas Culotta. "Was this a dream? I wasn't sure, but as this specter made eye contact with me, he pointed his weapon and fired right at me.... I remember asking God, 'Is this the day?' Death was coming."
For 44 terrorizing minutes, out-gunned officers engaged the bank robbers, dodging bullets from AK-47s, all while rescuing their wounded and peppering their targets with hundreds of shots that bounced off harmlessly.
"Bank robbers are supposed to go in, get the money, and leave. If they get trapped inside, they're supposed to take hostages and make SWAT come and talk them out. That's the norm. They're not supposed to come outside and take on patrol officers." - Lt. Nicholas Zingo
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Gradually, their shots probed openings in their adversaries' armor as a SWAT team arrived from afar to equalize with semi-automatic rifles borrowed from a local gun store. Officer Zingo, who authorized this move, said, "It was a survival decision in the heat of battle. We had to do something to try to end this thing without innocent people and civilians getting killed."
Let me repeat that one part... Officers had to get firearms from local gun store to combat these shooters. Sounds pathetic, doesn't it? Well, that's what political correctness does for you.
The police didn't have enough firepower with them. And just think... this was in a big city... North Hollywood.
The shootout ended with the two gunmen dead in the street. Eleven officers and six civilian bystanders were wounded, but miraculously none killed.Thousands of people were behind them, counting on them to keep them safe.
And you know what? That was just like in Dallas a year ago... The people who were marching in the Black Lives Matter protests were counting on the police to keep them safe, whether they realized it at the time or not.
I've used this quote before and I'll use it again. "The difference between the good guys and the bad guys is whether they use human shields or they make themselves human shields."
Stop with the political correctness nonsense, especially when it puts someone's life in danger. It often does sadly. And it's certainly NOT worth it.
Yes, they always improve tactics afterward but give it a matter of time. Political correctness will come around again... Sooner or later...
Retired Officer John Caprarelli zeroed in on a less obvious reaction — mandatory counseling for those experiencing PTSD: "Others won't have to helplessly watch as family members or co-workers single-handedly deal with issued they don't fully understand."
"I am still surviving this ordeal," said retired Officer Martin Whitfield, the most seriously injured. "Multiple surgeries and many months of physical and mental therapy immediately followed the shooting.
"Although I remember every minute of Feb. 28, 1997, I cherish every minute after that day and have developed a lifestyle of surviving," he said.
Retired LAPD Capt. Greg Meyer, who is considered an expert in police tactics and training, said North Hollywood is still mentioned in police classrooms across the country as a landmark moment for law enforcement. The lesson, Meyer said, is simple: "You never know when something like that is going to happen in your city or your town, and you need to be prepared."
It's no different between firearm or armor. Officers need it with a world of people that keep getting a hold of high-powered weapons. When are we going to learn before it kills another person, snatching them away from their family?
Officer Farell said, "It's training, pure and simple. We adapted very quickly to what we needed to do. All officers acted the way they needed to without being told. A media guy asked me if I had the chance, would I have gone the other way. I gave him a one-word answer. 'Never.' "
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(Credits for some info and wording: Los Angeles Times, 1997 LAPD newsletter, Wikipedia)
