Please – I beg you – please, study the Officer Down Memorial Page (link below). This website maintains year-round, up-to-date details on the events surrounding the deaths of police officers, prison guards, game wardens, immigration officers, etc.

Inasmuch as America has 800,000 police officers and 400,000 prison guards alone, the claim “I feared for my life” makes no sense. Absolutely no sense at all.

Keeping such frightened people on the streets, armed with guns and badges, is NOT safe for anyone. In fact, the number of officers killed by other officers suggests they are no safer from each other than we are. Police officers today, are physically out of shape and lack the education necessary to navigate our 2020 society. In my mind, defunding the police means the focused and rapid replacement of dinosaurs with a physically and mentally fit modern police force.

In 1970, there were 338,000 people in prison. Today, 50 years later, we are keeping 2.1-million people in prison. In large part, the explanation begins in the 1970s (see link below). In response to a couple shoot outs (and unprincipled, opportunistic politicians) American police agencies abandoned “community-protection” and embraced “self-protection”. Suddenly, crossing the thin blue line meant war – between police and citizens. Today, self-protection remains the motivating force behind policing.

America - we have work to do.

https://www.odmp.org/search/year/2020

https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/newhall-massacre/490526/