Shots Fired In My Hometown
December 3, 2009
A police officer was shot and wounded in my hometown today. Two thugs tried to rob a local bar at lunch-time. An officer was about a block away when he got the call and confronted the thieves as they left the bar. One took off running, apparently, and the other engaged in an exchange of gun-fire with the policeman. Both men took a bullet and were taken to the hospital.
Thankfully the policeman’s wounds were “not life-threatening” according to the news reports. They have not announced the name of the officer yet. I have a few friends on the force and I hope that it wasn’t one of them, but I’m sorry that it had to be anyone at all.
The odd thing about this is that yesterday I was reflecting on the tragedy in Lakewood WA, with the murder of four policemen and then the subsequent discovery of the suspect in Seattle and the fortuitous alertness of another patrolman who could easily have been a fifth victim. I remember thinking that I was glad to live in a place where such things did not happen. I’m not naive. I know that we have crime and nasty characters here in Dubuque. But we are rather insulated from the high profile type of crime and nastiness that captures national attention because of its grievous nature.
Well, apparently not as insulated as I thought. We could have had another dead law-enforcement officer lying on the sidewalk of Dubuque. I am a little more appreciative of my friends and others like them who put their life on the line each time the leave for work, in order to assure my safety and yours. Theirs is a sometimes thankless job. Their value is taken for granted. Their presence is expected. And should they fail to perform up to the flawless expectations of the largely unappreciative public, their lives could be ruined. Already the media is saying “we don’t know who shot first, the policeman or the suspect” as if that really matters! What really DOES matter is that no citizens were killed. What really DOES matter is that the thief is in jail. What really DOES matter is that the officer’s family is not in mourning this evening.
Neil, Joe, Dave, Adam … I salute you tonight. Thanks for being there on the thin blue line. Thanks for putting it on the line every day for me! Stay alert … it’s a jungle out there! Before long I expect that these two thugs will lawyer up and our wonderful legal system will be used to their advantage to get them back on the street … so that they can rob … and shoot … again. I appreciate you and pray for your safety!
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2 comments on “Shots Fired In My Hometown”
Evie Irwin
December 4, 2009 at 2:46 amHey Tim,
As a 911 dispatcher I have a front row seat to behavior like this every night, and it’s not as isolated as you might think! I am reminded multiple times a night of the depravity of man, as well as, the heroic efforts of our “men in blue”. Our county here in PA has 54 police departments…it’s a lot of officers to keep track of over a 12 hr period of time: I’m usually handling btwn 4-9 depts at a time…that’s about 12-20 officers! I pray for my officers every night because it’s my responsibility to know where they are, make sure that they work safely and then go home to their families at the end of shift. You are SO right when you say they have a thankless job & their value is taken for granted.
Thanks for appreciating the men who keep your family & community safe!
Tim
December 4, 2009 at 6:51 amThanks Evie for that insight from behind the scenes. I’ve often listened to the police scanner and it never occured to me how much of a vital role the dispatcher plays in keeping the men and women in blue safe. You play a key role in the communication link! May God bless your ministry to those whom you serve!