Letter to the Editor: John Mitchell risked his life for every person in Blackwell

Letter to the Editor

Every police officer leaves his home and family to go on shift, not knowing if he will come home that night. His family knows the risks he takes. He goes out to protect us, and to keep us warm and cozy in our beds at night. He confronts all sorts of people, many of whom are very dangerous. Officers put their lives on the line to keep dangerous people away from us. Officers work to keep our kids from getting kidnapped, our wives from getting raped, and our precious big screen TVs from getting stolen. They do this for less money in a year than most of you make in 6 months.

Blackwell Police Lt. John Mitchell stopped an active shooter from killing one of your family members, or one of mine. He was getting shot at, yet he was brave enough to ignore it and shoot back. He stopped what could have been multiple homicides. He did his job. He did exactly what every law enforcement agency in the United States trains its officers to do: They teach officers to shoot ‘till the threat is gone.

If you shoot at the police, this is what can and will happen. Your arrogance does not give you the right to shoot at anyone, much less the police. The attorney who filed charges against him should be removed from office. John Mitchell risked his life for every person in Blackwell, including those of you who are now slandering him. He should be given a medal; instead, his life may be ruined.

You people complaining about him should be ashamed. Had someone you known or one of your family members died that night because of the shooter, you people would have been screaming, “Where were the police?" It disgusts me that you have no more respect for law enforcement, the very people who watch over us. Don’t you dare tell me you can take care of yourself without the police. You can’t, and you obviously only know how to fight on Facebook. It is sad that the shooter died. But shooting at the police is never going to end well.

 
Signed,

Phil Green