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The biggest Jerk! Don't go into Wheaton!

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I've been through this before, I'll go through it again. I am a deputy sheriff in Alabama. Yes, things have changed since 9/11. And things have become a lot more ugly for police officers and deputies. I have learned to tune out attitudes, bad, indifferent or good. My only functions are to a) enforce the laws of my county, state, and the Federal government...and b) get through my shift in one piece. The initial post kicking all this nonsense off is a one sided view in which the writer is the civil rights impaired victim. Not surprising, as everyone is the hero of their own autobiography. Lacking is any knowledge of where the cop was coming from. I can come up with about a half dozen reasons why he acted the way he did... all of them having to do with professional police work. As a matter of professional courtesy, I do stop and check vehicles stopped by the side of the road. Sometimes they are broken down. Sometimes they are lost. Sometimes the car is stolen (has happened twice in two years.) Now I could blow right on by and leave them alone... and catch hell from my Sheriff come the next Monday morning because I left his sainted aunt dehydrating by the side of the road. When I come across an angry, confrontational person, it is in my training to control the situation by letting them know who is in charge... which, by the way, is me. It's not a power trip, it's personal protection. You are mad and there's a good chance you might end up trying to hurt me. One angry person managed to get a shot off at me before I killed him. Another, just two weeks ago, clobbered me and had me spend a couple of hours in an ER shaking off a minor concussion. (Yes, he's in jail right now. He says he is really, really sorry.) I am not a mind reader. I can't tell if you are a harmless train fan or Christopher McVey. When I come across an angry person, I will probably be less than understanding. I will be abrupt. I will wonder why you are so angry. I will wonder what you are doing. I will wonder who you are. And yes, I'm going to ask rude questions, probably in a format that is less than what you might consider polite. BTW, for those of you who think I ought to be chasing bank robbers, I was... until one of them shot a police officer two weeks ago. The officer, who recognized the bad guys (all six of them) could have shot them but didn't, as there was no clear line of fire. The bad guys had no qualms about shooting first... and they did. Yes, the cop is alive... even got out of the hospital... but will never ever work as a cop again. They were all angry young men. One of them is now dead. Five are in custody. Their rights are being scrupulously observed. Get over your anger, ask permission before you shoot photos (I do) and try hard to see both sides of a story before you label someone as a "jerk". You will be happier, cops will be happier, and both sides will be equally served. Erik
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