Statement on Assassination of Baton Rouge Police Officers

We mourn the senseless loss of our three brothers who were murdered and three others injured in an ambush attack in Baton Rouge this morning. We grieve knowing that there are no words of comfort to take away the pain their families are being forced to endure.
Each and every day you go to work knowing you put your life on the line. You do so willingly knowing that by doing so you are not only risking your own life but you are risking the happiness of your loved ones if you don’t come home after your shift.
Our job has never been an easy one but it is a job that has become increasingly more difficult as the critics continue to criticize, the self-serving politicians who seem to relish these moments grandstand spouting empty platitudes looking for reasons to blame the rank and file law enforcement officer for society’s ills and ignoring their responsibilities to put forth meaningful solutions, while in our communities the most evil malcontents our nation has to offer target innocent men and women simply because of the uniform they wear.
We will not allow evil to overpower good. We will not allow the murderers of our innocent brothers and sisters to make us shy away from our duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Hate and anger has dominated the conversation. But what has been lost – and must be remembered – is the good work that police officers do each and every day.
We must not forget the police officers who rushed into a San Bernardino office building hunting the terrorists who callously murdered 14 innocents, not knowing if they themselves would make it home.
We must remember the police officers who covered the eyes of the wounded in an Orlando nightclub to shield them from the trauma of seeing their dead friends awash in a sea of blood. The officers knew the physical wounds would heal but the psychological trauma would persist forever.
And we must remember the Dallas police officers who shielded a wounded mother’s body with their own until a sniper’s bullets stopped flying. They didn’t care that she was there to protest police. She needed help and they were there to help her.
We must remain ever vigilant. We will continue to answer the calls for help. We will continue to serve.
Keep our fallen brothers and their loved ones in your prayers.
Watch your back. Watch your partners’ backs. Stay safe.
Respectfully,

Posted in: Member Advisement, Memorial