Why? Another officer falls in the line of duty...

[MI2QWK4U]

Please keep this family and department in your prayers. Sterling Heights borders my department, and we work with their officers on a daily basis. Unfortunately I know what they feel like, my department enduring a simular loss 3 years ago. For once, I am at a loss for words.

News Story (http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/3386109/detail.html)

Officer Down Memorial Page (http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=17343)

Reflections and Prayers... (http://www.odmp.org/reflections.php?oid=17343)

[MM03MOK]

<BIG><BIG><BIG><BIG>http://www.catholicshopper.com/products/media/GER_800_172.jpg </BIG>Police Officer's Prayer to St. Michael</BIG></BIG></BIG>

<BIG>Saint Michael, heaven's glorious commissioner of police,</BIG><BIG> who once so neatly and successfully cleared God's premises </BIG><BIG>of all its undesirables, look with kindly and professional </BIG><BIG>eyes on your earthly force.</BIG>
<BIG></BIG>
<BIG></BIG><BIG>Give us cool heads, stout hearts, and uncanny flair for </BIG><BIG>investigation and wise judgement.</BIG>
<BIG>Make us the terror of burglars, the friend of children and </BIG><BIG>law-abiding citizens, kind to strangers, polite to bores,</BIG><BIG> strict with law-breakers and impervious to temptations.</BIG>

<BIG>You know, Saint Michael, from your own experiences </BIG><BIG>with the devil that the police officer's lot on earth is not </BIG><BIG>always a happy one; but your sense of duty that so</BIG><BIG> pleased God, your hard knocks that so surprised the </BIG><BIG>devil, and your angelic self-control give us inspiration.</BIG>

<BIG>And when we lay down our night sticks, enroll us in your</BIG><BIG> heavenly force, where we will be as proud to guard the </BIG><BIG>throne of God as we have been to guard the city of all</BIG><BIG> the people. Amen.</BIG>
<BIG></BIG>
<BIG></BIG>

[MikesMerc]

A very sad day.

[RCSignals]

I hope the shooter is caught, and the legal system gives him what he deserves.

I saw a "free Leonard Peletier" bumper sticker the other day, and it made me quite mad

[Patrick]

[QUOTE=MM03MOK][font=Arial]<BIG><BIG><BIG>[color=#004080]<BIG>http://www.catholicshopper.com/products/media/GER_800_172.jpg </BIG>Police Officer's Prayer to St. Michael</BIG></BIG></BIG>

<BIG>Saint Michael, heaven's glorious commissioner of police,</BIG><BIG> who once so neatly and successfully cleared God's premises </BIG><BIG>of all its undesirables, look with kindly and professional </BIG><BIG>eyes on your earthly force.</BIG>
<BIG></BIG>
<BIG></BIG><BIG>Give us cool heads, stout hearts, and uncanny flair for </BIG><BIG>investigation and wise judgement.</BIG>
[color=#004080][size=1]<BIG>Make us the terror of burglars, the friend of children and </BIG><BIG

God bless!

[teamrope]

My prayers are with officer Sawyer and his family.

[merc406]

The way this happened is very strange, thank heavens for video camera's.

There has to be more to this story, it's very scary.

[jgc61sr2002]

My condolences to Officer Sawyer, his family and colleagues.

May God bless Officer Sawyer and protect his family.

[FiveO]

:(

I always hate to see a fellow officer die in the line of duty.

God bless him and his family.

I went to the National LE Officers Memorial in DC a few years back. Very sobering. I've lost two members of my dept. in the line of duty and they are days I will never forget.

[Bradley G]

We only git one shot (that I know of) I can't understand someone's frame of mind when they deliberatly take some ones life. The sorrow the family has to endure is unspeakable. Prayers to all .I'm leaving in a little while for a final service for a former co worker who took his own life this week. Trying to live as if every moment counts. Taking nothing for granted, leave it all here and now. treat people special even the less fortunate.Life the longer I have it the better I find ways to want to use it.

[Sactown]

Thanks for sharing this story. Without this board, I'd never have heard of it. It deeply saddens me and reminds me of the shooting of officer David Mobilio in Red Bluff, CA while filling his patrol car at a gas station back in November 2002. ********* who did it went and wrote about it on the internet, claiming some corporate/societal/political BS made him do it. I hope he gets the rusty needle.

My prayers to officer Sawyer, his family and friends. I hope they find the scumbag quick.

[ParkRanger]

Sorry to hear the news.

This cr*p never seems to end - we had a similiar situation in Long Beach about 5 yrs ago. Officer sitting in his unit doing paper when a lowlife sneaks up to him and gets a head shot - officer survived but never will be the same. The suspect was trying to get into a gang??????????????????????????

Also 3 weeks ago a Cal Hwy Ptrl off. killed by a wannabe trying to get into a gang.

How is this going to end? No amount of officer safety can prevent this all the time. :mad:

pr

[BillyGman]

This cr*p never seems to end - we had a similiar situation in Long Beach about 5 yrs ago. Officer sitting in his unit doing paper when a lowlife sneaks up to him and gets a head shot - officer survived but never will be the same. The suspect was trying to get into a gang??????????????????????????

Also 3 weeks ago a Cal Hwy Ptrl off. killed by a wannabe trying to get into a gang.

How is this going to end? No amount of officer safety can prevent this all the time. :mad:

pr
This is terrible news!!! As is the original subject of ths thread. As far as a possible solution to people doing these things to be initiated into gangs, I'd think the answer must include breaking up the gangs since it is them who adopt these type of initiation requirements. However, I realize that maybe that's easier said than done. I just kind of wonder if L.E. has ever even attempted that. Just a thought though on my part. I have no idea what such an endeavor would require, or if it can be done. Anyway i too am very sorry to hear of things like this.

[David Morton]

Depressing news. I will do more to show my support for those in my community that man the 'thin blue line'. And for those of you on this board that are beating back the savages of the jungle, thank you. You guys rank one half step above our fighting men in Iraq, who rank five steps above any politician in my book. I don't have to say God bless you because I know He already does, every day. Even when He calls you to "come home" as He has this fine man.

[Reduaram]

My condolences go out to Officer Sawyer, his family, co-workers and friends.
Every time I hear about a serious crime such as this, a child abduction, a rape, a home invasion - the list goes on, I just can't help but wonder... what has society ... what has mankind done that is so bad, to provoke so much hatred, anger, and violence from so many people?
Tomorrow morning we will all be lucky enough to start a brand new day, for better or for worse. Some will be grieving the loss of a fallen comrade, and god-willing they will recover and get on with their lives as time goes on. The anger and sadness may ease over time but the one question still remains: Who will be next? Thankfully, it is not in most people's nature to spend too much time worrying about that. But for anyone who's job it is to protect our society from the evil that exists, whether they are military, civil or both, it is a reality that we all accept. That one day a member, or members, may end up sacrificing themselves in the line of duty is a reality that comes with the job. Whether they are in Kabul, NYC, Kelowna or Kosovo, they are there for one reason: We are not forced into military or police service - we are there because we believe we can help make a difference. At least that is what I believe. As long as there are men and women out there on the front lines in the ghettos, the suburbs, cities and back-roads, I know that the battle is still going on. That there are a lot of other people who know that the good fight is worth fighting, and that one day we may have the solutions that we so desperately want, and need.
In reality though, the solutions will not come from the front-line and work their way out. No, not at all. The solutions exist within the bureaucracies, the justice system, the political system and most of all PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME!. Yes, we as respectful, law-abiding individuals, families and communities have a moral responsibility to look out for each other as much as law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to enforce the laws and protect the public.
I, for one wouldn't want to live in a society that is safe only because there are 4 police officers for every 10 citizens, would you?
So, you might be wondering, if you've read this far - What is this guy's point? Well...I never said I did have a point. These are just some of the thoughts that run through my head whenever I hear of another police officer getting shot in the line of duty.