That's because County Fire-Rescue Capt. Edwin O'Berry helped stop an armed suspect who nearly beat a police officer to death. He stopped suspect Mauricio Cruz by shooting him. [More]See, I'd like to think I, and everyone I know, would not hesitate to help a peace officer in need--and that we'd want to.
The problem is separating them out from the "Only Ones," who really ought to consider that in places like Chi-Town or DC or Virginia Tech, such an intervention is highly improbable thanks to policies they enforce. Not to mention the love some of them spread...
[Via Harvey]
There are some in Indy I'd help. Seems like fewer and fewer.......
ReplyDeleteSo the fireman had to go to his car to get his gun... gee, that's handy. And the attacker had already broken off the attack when he shot him? The story is a bit confusing there.
ReplyDeleteThe cop had better get some more training in weapon retention, it would seem...
And Palm Beach MIGHT do a better job of keeping these criminals off the streets, I suppose. The fire department might just not be around all the time - or too far separated from the guns in their cars!!
MamaL beat me to it. But then she always does.
ReplyDeleteThe article though, does say that Cruz pointed the gun at O'Berry before he fired. The magazine was dropped during the original scuffle, but to the firefighter's knowledge there should still be a round in the chamber, I would have fired too.
ReplyDeleteAny bets O'Berry's workplace is a gun free zone which is why he had to go to his car for his gun? Any doubt that PBSO will refuse to recognize the danger of gun free zones?
Peace officers (if they are not extinct) wear the same uniforms as LEOs, so it isn't possible to tell them apart (except, perhaps, by hairstyle). The only way to tell which is which is if you see a gang of uniformed thugs attacking a lone uniformed person. Since the bad apples vastly outnumber the good guys, it would be a safe assumption that the one being attacked is the good guy, at least in the particular moment.
ReplyDeleteIf I see non-uniformed people attacking a uniformed person I would make the reasonable assumption that a threat was being dealt with.
I'm afraid Kent, that I mostly agree with you. Too many instances to my direct knowledge to not have those inclinations.
ReplyDeleteIn my concealed carry class we were specifically told that the police do not need or want our help by the retired cop who taught the class. So good luck with the whole "help a peace officer in need" thing. I'll be looking out for myself and the nearby sheep.
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