Maine state police on Thursday defended their search last fall for a gunman who had just killed 18 people, saying they didn’t rush to search woods surrounding his abandoned car because they feared a late-night ambush.
The Oct. 25 shooting at a bowling alley and a bar was the deadliest in state history. But it took police two days to find the body of shooter Robert Card, who died by suicide, while tens of thousands of Maine residents were ordered to shelter in their homes.
Police have been criticized for not finding Card sooner, after they quickly identified him as the shooter and found his car, and twice searched a nearby recycling facility where he used to work. They ultimately discovered his body in the back of a tractor-trailer in the business’ overflow parking lot during a third search.
👌👍 I bet you go flying in duke nukem style. LEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYY
In the real world the decision isn’t binary.
You’re right. The decision to not save people’s lives because you’re scared when you’re a cop isn’t binary. The answer is to get over your fear and save people’s lives.
Police officer is not even in the top 20 most dangerous jobs in the country, and those top 20 don’t generally allow you to have a gun with you at all times. And apparently now you don’t even have a duty to protect other people’s lives if you’re worried about your own.
But no, I wouldn’t go flying in Duke Nukem style. Because I’m not a cop. And I wouldn’t be a cop. But if I was a cop and I didn’t save someone’s life because I was too scared? That should be, at minimum, cause for disciplinary action. It never is.
Saving other people’s lives should be one of the number one jobs of police officers. Instead, they seem to prefer to take them.