In my years of research, I have had the pleasure of interviewing police officers from around the country. I’ve also noticed that as I transformed from a California new-age liberal to—Liberty/Constitutionalist-but-not-Libertarian-by-affiliation?—my attitude towards cops has become much more positive.
The vast majority of concealed carry licensees are law-abiding citizens who just want to go home safely at the end of the day. The same is true for the vast majority of police officers. Which is why today is a sad day.
Yesterday in Rapid City, South Dakota, Officer James Ryan McCandless and two other officers– Nick Armstrong and Tim Doyle–were performing what began as a “routine” traffic stop on a car containing four people. After a few minutes, one of the occupants began shooting, killing McCandless and wounding Armstrong and Doyle.
As the call of “officer shot” screamed out over police radios, officers from many agencies rushed to secure the crime scene. The shooter was wounded and apprehended, and remains hospitalized, as do Officers Armstrong and Doyle. Armstrong remains in critical condition.
In 2009, the FBI reported Rapid City was a city of 66,170 population, with 127 full-time officers.
Our condolences go out to Rapid City PD and the officers’ families.
I agree, it is a sad day. Every officer shooting is a horrific tragedy.
I am a little lost. I dont see the connection between your noting that CCL holders are largely law abiding, and the incident in question. There is no mention of a CCL with regards to the incident. Am I missing something?
Just one way of making the point that law-abiding citizens concerned about self-defense have more in common with cops than some would think.
Ah. I apologize, sometimes I am slow.
All of the CCL people I know would more likely step in front of a bullet for a cop than send one at them. I know alot of cops, and they are aware of that. The cops down in Gonzales being an exception.
Unfortunately, for anti-gun types, this highly visible fact is completely invisible.
Hey, no apology necessary. You actually made a good point that I was rambling without connecting the dots for readers. That paragraph could be considered extraneous.
Gonzales TX? Sounds like maybe I shouldn’t visit there. Too bad, lots of history. What’s going on there?
Gonzales, Louisiana. This is a great state, but political power here is dispersed onto the local level. That means we have lots of good people in offices that make certain areas really good, and bad people in other areas that make them well worth avoiding.
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2006/02/i-dont-care-what-laws-or-supreme-court.html
I didnt have a chance to answer fully. I am not certain that that guy wasnt trying to provoke the police, or that the statements allegedly made by the police are accurate. Knowing what I do about this state, neither would surprise me. I know that here in Grant parish I can carry openly with no problems, same in Catahoula parish and parts of Rapides, but I am not going to open carry in Gonzales. In any case I am not sure if Landry is still chief down there, but it is a great town and well worth visiting, if only for the food.