The High Cost of Protection

I don't know this gentleman. I've never met him, don't know any of his family or friends. He didn't attend my church, don't know if he even believed in God.

Don't know if he played sports, don't know if he watched sports. Until now I've never known anything about him but that all changed this morning.

Now he's famous. Now he's today's top news story and will probably remain in the news for a few days. All because this morning at 8:30 am he was shot and killed in the line of duty.

You can read the story here, but I can tell you all that I know about him is that his name is Officer Erfle and he's a hero that was silenced too soon. I can tell you that the shooting and his death has sent waves of shock throughout our city. Not just because he's young and has left a wife and two children behind. Not because he was "one of the good guys". But because his being a police officer who was shot before having time to draw a weapon by a man who was jaywalking is unbelievable.

Cop killing sends two messages out to the city: 1) the cops are going to be on high alert when dealing with suspects which means making the wrong move could be dangerous to your health. Couple that with being a minority or one of the usual suspects and you've got some serious cop-involved shootings coming. 2) criminals are becoming more violent and we as a society are now less protected. Think about it, if these criminals are stupid and uncaring enough to kill a cop, killing anyone else is easy, everyone else is non-essential.

I prayed for that family tonight when I read that Officer Erfle had died from his wounds. I prayed for his wife who now has to make decisions while dealing with the shock of suddenly being alone. I prayed for his children who probably don't understand that their father is forever gone. I prayed for other good cops out there patroling and serving while making a pittance for salary, everday they're out there keeping us safe and protected and they become target practice. And I prayed for our city. Senseless violence eats away at a society and causes fear and irrational behaviour, especially if the one responsible for the killing is a minority or "different" in any way.

On my way home from work this evening I pulled up next to a motorcycle cop, rolled down my window and told him I was sorry for his loss. The officer actually told me that he had just left a memorial for Officer Erfle, and spoke about the friends Erfle had and how he would be missed. And even though I never knew Officer Erfle, I will feel his family's loss.