Officer Involved Shootings: An Officers Perspective

Officer Involved Shootings:  An Officers Perspective

In light of recent, high profiled officer involved shootings, I felt compelled to put into words what other police officers feel.  Today’s officers face more scrutiny than ever before due to the technological advances of video, cell phones, and media coverage, to name a few.  This article is simply to give the reader a chance to think about these incidents in a more objective view.  After all, the media coverage today reaches more potential jurors than ever before.  This also has dire consequences and makes the entire legal process much more difficult for everyone involved.

By now, the Ferguson, MO shooting is “yesterdays” news.  However, the aftermath is felt around the country in ways most people don’t consider.  For most people, they get up in the morning, get ready for work, and kiss their loved ones goodbye and head to their jobs.  Some are laborers working in the hot sun; some are serving our food at the various restaurants, dry cleaners, parking lot attendants, and a host of other professions.  The last thing on their mind is whether or not they will come home at the end of their day.  Officers, however, strap on their protective vests, uniform, belt, check their firearm and other equipment, praying they don’t have to use any of it.  They kiss their loved ones goodbye and know the dangers they may have to face.  Their stress level is among the highest in any profession.  So, an officer’s life span is cut short, in many cases, because of the profession he or she chose.

Police officers watch the same news outlets as the rest of the public.  Officers are well aware of what the public thinks when officers make decisions.  And believe it or not, most officers are just as appalled as the rest of society when officers make bad decisions.  But, I haven’t seen a single news story where a reporter has asked a patrol officer what he or she thinks about some of these incidents.  Instead, the head of the agency has to address the public.  Street officers are smart enough to keep their mouths shut because what they say will definitely be used against them in the future.  Additionally, the officers still have a job to do.  They have to face the same reality day in and day out. 

Now, before we rush to judge officers based on a news story or a video, we need all the facts.  Bits and pieces of the facts are insufficient and do nothing but make it much more difficult on an already difficult job.  After all, every scene an officer goes to, someone wants him or her there, and someone doesn’t.  And sometimes, no one wants the officer there, but he or she has a job to do.  Can you imagine having to do your job thinking, “If I make the wrong decision, a person’s life could be ruined?  My family could be ruined.  The mayor will not support me.  The chief might support me, but quickly enough, this incident could become political.  Does that guy have a gun pointed at me?  Is he going to shoot me or someone else?  Was that a gunshot I heard?  Should I shoot now or wait?  No matter what I do, I will probably be sued.”

There are not many professions that I know of in which people have that kind of a thought process in a matter of seconds.  When an officer second-guesses him or herself, he or she could lose their life.  There is no time for second guesses. 

The death of any person is tragic.  It’s more so when it’s an officer-involved incident.  But what appears to get lost on the public is that police officers are people too.  They have feelings.  I once assisted in an officer involved shooting incident in which an officer killed an armed suspect that was attacking a fellow officer.  One of the bullets passed through the suspect’s jacket and hit an innocent woman who was walking a child in a carriage.  The stray bullet struck the woman in the arm.  She was only slightly injured.  I interviewed the officer who fired those shots.  He was extremely emotional after the entire incident.  He kept telling me he never intended to hurt the woman.  Both the woman and the family of the deceased, armed suspect sued the officer.  Shortly after receiving the notification of the lawsuit, the officer committed suicide.

These incidents are just as real to the officer as they are to the families and individuals involved.  All of this seems to get lost in the haste to rush for judgment. 

My final point deals with the legal process.  There are numerous people that do not want the police to “police themselves.”  Apparently there is some fear of a cover up or distrust between the citizens and law enforcement.  I don’t care who investigates these incidents as long as the integrity of the investigations is kept sacred.  Leaks to media outlets not only hinder investigations, but they let out information that truly needs to be protected.  After all, the integrity of the investigation cannot go understated.  However, this protection of the integrity of the investigation is also a double-edged sword.  The public may view this as a cover up.  However, having conducted hundreds of investigations, I can tell you this is extremely important.  This prevents a suspect from confessing to something he or she did not do.  Additionally, investigators are able to determine factual witnesses from people who just want to get involved.

Trying a case in the media prior to any case going to trial is simply not justice.  It does not matter who the defendant is, all defendants are entitled to a fair trial.  The trouble with today’s media, and I am referring to all media not just broadcast media, is that it is instantaneous and constant.  From the Ferguson shooting to the shooting in South Carolina, videos and false statements were broadcast almost immediately.  Never before have we been faced with such immediacy and falsehoods that taint jury pools almost from the instant an incident happens.  Today, people who have no idea what they are talking about immediately vilify the officer.  Some just want their 15 minutes of fame while others want to get the “truth” out.  The trouble is, video only tells a portion of the story.  The investigation will reveal the events in a much more logical and thorough fashion than just the video.

Finally, only after all the facts have been collected a prosecutor or grand jury can render a decision.  No matter what, the decision rendered will not be good for everyone concerned.  Someone on either side of the incident will be negatively affected. 

No legal system is perfect.  But, ours here in the United States is much better than anywhere else in the world.  So, the next time you watch the news and see a controversial story, take a deep breath.  Relax and wait for the true details to emerge before rushing to judgment.  In Spanish, there is a saying I love to use. Las apariencias engañan.  This basically means not everything is as it appears.  Nothing more could be more apropos than this.