(Related to an officer-involved domestic shootout earlier posted here.)
Before this most recent article I had read in various pieces of this chief's love and hurt - while still being able to (regrettably) fire an officer when he needs to do that.
It will be better here to post excerpts from the article than to rephrase.
Lehi's police-force 'family' starts long healing process
By Sara Israelsen
Deseret Morning News
Friday, February 3, 2006
...A week ago today, an armed (Officer) Henderson allegedly hunted down his ex-wife and her boyfriend before turning his gun toward Lehi officers coming down the road with their lights on and sirens blaring. A shootout ensued and Henderson was hit twice, stopping the rampage. The crime scene has been cleaned up, and the investigations are under way, but the healing process for the Lehi officers has just begun. "We're close," said Lehi Police Chief Chad Smith. "Blood is thicker than water. You can always weather any storm if you have your family with you."...
...The feelings were predictable: Second-guessing, sadness, frustration. "There was a lot of anger," Smith said. "We felt like a good friend tried to kill us. There's a lot of baggage there." Smith continues to work with his officers and their spouses to make sure they can talk about their feelings and feel his support. The support is there every day, not just after a crisis. Smith talks to each officer every day. He asks about their children by name. He looks into their eyes, knows how they're feeling...
...Officers' spouses have the chief's phone number and are invited to call him anytime. "That's what I'm about," Smith said. "Family."...
...Smith was at home when he received a call from a Lehi dispatcher at 9:30 Friday morning: There's been a shooting. Art's involved. Officers are there. "I'm dying," he said of his feelings at that moment...
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I am the mom of the man "wonderful" officer Henderson shot. He used all his police tactics to hunt down my son. He had threatened him many times before and had even kidnapped him once. I listened to the entire call. So please, do not think you are losing a brother officer, you are thankfully keeping an animal from attacking again. Lu Petroni
ReplyDeleteBig hugz Lu,
ReplyDeleteI hear you. The only point here is that just because you care about the officers doesn't mean to neglect doing your job by keeping them when you need to fire them. I don't see that much in my collecting. Usually if they are saying they care about the officer they are also deFENDING and KEEPing him.
I see Henderson hung himself today.
He meant to die the day he did the shooting. I'll post it tomorrow after all the news comes in. Already I see that they took him off of suicide watch after two weeks.
Feel free to email me at cloud_writer at yahoo dot com.
BLESSINGS to your families.
Cloud
Here are the other two earlier blog posts: here & here.
ReplyDeleteFor Chad Smith , William (Bill) Gibbs has past away. His wife wanted to contact you to see of you would be interested in talking part of his funeral. Pls contact- Lee At 801 835 5881
ReplyDelete