Laying a Brave Officer to Rest
I’ve written multiple articles here at American Thinker questioning the militarization of our local police forces that have mostly met with agreement from those commenting. Something’s not quite right with the way America’s police departments are interacting with the folks in the communities they police. I say mostly with agreement because those opinions have generated some angry rebuttals from the law enforcement community that all seem to agree, “I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.”
Well, let’s put all that aside for the moment to honor a fallen Oklahoma City police officer killed in the line of duty last week. Officer K-9 Kye responded to a burglary call with his handler, Sergeant Ryan Stark. Apparently the burglar was armed with a knife and when Officer Kye engaged him, the criminal thug stabbed officer Kye inflicting a fatal wound. Sgt. Stark responded in what I believe most of America will agree was a justifiable response and sent that cop-killer burglar to Hell with his sidearm.
The response of the Oklahoma City Police Department to Officer Kye’s death is in a series of funeral photos posted at the Washington Times. Some of you may consider the ceremony a bit overdone considering Officer Kye’s canine status. I find it altogether proper and fitting. My condolences to Officer Kye’s fellow officers, especially to Sergeant Stark and his family, who were Officer Kye’s family as well.
Brave Officer Kye, R.I.P.
Crossposted at American Thinker
Category: Police
Your anti-police stance is short-sighted and misplaced, but good article.
Offering an opinion about the (heavy) militarization of many Police Departments is far from being anti-police and is one that I happen to agree.
MRAP’s and AR’s showing up all over the place in this country is a bit unnerving.
What’s next, leftover M48-A3’s from Vietnam? That 90mm main gun would work well with crowd control
The way they are deployed by police, how is a MRAP worse than a Bear Cat (designed for law enforcement) or an old Brinks armored truck. Yep, it’s scary looking. The same argument gun grabbers have against anyone owner “assault weapons.”
It is about the rush to use tactical teams and the warrior mindset vs community policing. The use of tactical teams and dynamic entry has grown exponentialy and puts LEOs and citizens at risk. More importantly it puts the 4th amendment at risk. See the CT case where a regional tactical team deployed on a search warrant for a personal use amount of drugs, and claim that when they broke the door down and killed a man (no weapons were found in the house) it was because the residents didn’t ansewer the door after they knocked and yelled police. They knocked and yelled after they deployed flashbangs. HOw the fuck do you answer the door after you get flashbanged through your broken window? That is way to skirt not being able to get a no-knock and thus a way to skirt the constitution. Some of us who have sworns our lives to and in some cases bled for it, are kind of attached to the constituion. The militarization of LEO’s is a threat to our republic, our citizens, our property, and our LEOs.
I don’t believe he has an anti-police stance. I believe his opinions and ideals about the police forces in America are similar to mine, in that they should not look like a military force. Even something as simple as wearing blue cargo style pants instead of camouflage (which isn’t really doing anything to help their mission) makes a difference. Marching through the streets with weapons up, launching tear gas at the press, generally attempting to obscure and hide their own accountability from the public, and the list goes on of things that some police officers and departments are doing. If wanting our police to be accountable, approachable, and to serve and protect us as fellow citizens, rather than simply government enforcers is being anti-police, then I suppose sign me the fuck up.
+1. I am anti police….. anti NY state police with an unzeroed rifle and his EOTech sight on backwards. Anti- police officers hurt rolling over MRAPs because they have not been trained on them. Anti-police recruiting videos, of tactical teams set the tune of “die mother fucker die”. I am pro the third and fourth amendments. Oh and Posse Commitatus. I am pro community policing, civic safety, and law and order.
I find it funny that police ride around in MRAPs thinking they are safe/badasses. Having been a gunner in an MRAP I’m extremely glad the couple times our MRAP came remotely close to rolling over (poor ground guiding and soft ground) we high centered on the rear drive axle. Urban areas/developed roads I think they’re great against IEDs because of the slide shows I’ve seen. The thing I doubt police even realize is that in an urban area where people can get next to one they quickly are in the gunners blind spot.
I also don’t think police even have a rudimentary understanding of how to utilize their semi-automatic rifles against an organized force. Police really need to go back to being police.
I’ve never ridden in an MRAP, but I’ve done plenty of missions in an uparmored HMMWV, and that’s top heavy enough for me, let alone driving an M1200 Knight! All it’s gonna take is one rolling over because some inexperienced Evel Knievel wannabe turns a corner too fast in one, and somebody’s car or truck will be a plastic and steel pancake, just think of the shitty PR and lawsuits from that! I hope I’m wrong and that never happens, I detest seeing people get killed because of others’ stupidity, but there are too many Rambo/Dukes of Hazzard wannabes in Police Departments these days.
@Hoho:
Yep. Disagreeing with some of the tactics and practices of so many of our police outfits is “anti-police”.
Uh huh.
When I went “on the job” we were called Patrolmen, which changed to Police Officer with the introduction of female officers, back in the late 70’s as I recall.
With female cops came K-9 units, which were a Godsend. A blessing particularly when we had a large dark building to search, drugs in cars and the extremely infrequent bomb search, etc.
I’ve always been a dog lover and have owned at least a couple at a time since I was a young boy……..the point of all this is, these K-9 Officers never, ever let you down and they ALWAYS responded to the task at hand performing their duty to the max.
RIP Officer Kye, I am pleased that your killer has met his just fate.
is it just me or has there been a nomenclature based shift away from policing and towards LE?
I too am worried by the disturbing trends in law enforcement in the last few years. I would describe myself as a supporter of LE, with lots of friends and family who are cops, and can see the legitimate reason for an AR or Mini14 in the gun rack of the black&white. But I get nervous when cops clad in cargo pants and tacticool vests start walking around with their rifles. Yes, they belong on the rack, but they should stay on the rack unless shots are actually being fired. Hell, a while back I responded to a small fire near an LE-only shooting range (before anyone asks, they didn’t start it) and a few cops at the range showed up to offer assistance, which was fine. But one of them showed up wearing fucking Desert MARPAT camo with his department’s patches on the sleeves under a plate carrier that had about fifty pounds of shit strapped to it, including a bigass KaBar on his shoulder. Setting aside that any desert pattern would be a poor camo choice for the local environment, what the hell was a street cop wearing all of that shit for? Why are cops starting to hide their faces? Why do so many pretend they’re Judge Dredd and treat people with the “you’re only innocent until you inevitably become guilty” attitude?
With that said, I will never withhold my support, moral or otherwise, from a good cop. I don’t care if that good cop is black, white, male, female, straight, gay, or four-legged and furry. Officer Kye of the Oklahoma City PD died doing his job, and should be honored accordingly. Personally, I think Class-A’s would be more appropriate than polo shirts, but that would be my only criticism here.
T.O.W., couldn’t have said it better. As to the Class A’s vs what they’re wearing, it may be that what the pall bearers have on is the dog handler uniform.
Well said.
I won’t knit pick with the various standards of uniforms visible at the ceremony. Folks were more than likely wearing the appropriate duty uniform, and likely many were either just off, or soon to go back on duty and had to make a practical decision.
Something that I have always questioned about police/fire funeral services though is the use of the American flag, as opposed to the flag of the officers jurisdiction. I know some municipalities that cover the casket and then present to the family the local flag that the officer served under (unless they were a veteran and entitled to the US flag), but it does not seem to be the standard.
As far as flags on the casket go, it varies. My department and some others around here use the California state flag (lucky us! /sarc). If a municipality even has its own flag, that is generally the one used for the funeral of a cop or fireman. Those that don’t might use a state flag or the US Flag.
The last funeral I was part of was for a friend of mine who was a Marine reservist, with honors conducted jointly by a Marine Honor Guard detail and our Honor Guard. His USMC service entitled him to an American flag on his casket, so that took precedence. The NCO leading Marine Honor Guard presented the US Flag, while our Chief presented the state flag. I personally thought the service was well-handled by all involved, though obviously I never want to see another one.
@ LUDDITE, Et Alii:
THANK YOU ! ! ! for saying what I’ve been saying for many years, i.e., that slain police officers, unless they are military veterans (which many are), they should place the flag of their state or local community on the casket.
For the same reason, I think police officers shouldn’t be wearing the United States flag on their uniform, nor should the United States flag be flown at state, county, or municipal facilities, because each of those local entities has its own standard.
Over-familiarity (i.e., too much display of Old Glory) breeds contempt.
At the very least, we need to restore recognition of sovereignty and respect for LOCAL authority.
The US Flag code, 36 USC Chapter 10, section 174(e), states public buildings, and does not differentiate between federal, state, and local.
The militarization of civilian police forces is only one of innumerable signs and symptoms of a far more grievous foreboding.
Taxes would be MUCH lower, as we wouldn’t need so many police, soldiers, and/or prisons, if only any and all unconstitutional restrictions on firearms was immediately revoked (or even outright ignored).
In reality, it’s going to require BLOOD, and lots of it, before we ever, IF we ever, regain our unalienable rights, and restore our lost Republic, with its now moot Constitution of The United States of America.
A fucking funeral for a dog? Give me a tax paying break.
It’s even worse than that.
Since the dog is considered by law to be a police officer, what happens to the human perpetrator who’s captured after that dog is killed in the line of duty?
Would we actually EXECUTE a human being for the MURDER of a dog?
I love dogs – – – especially on a bun with mustard, chili, and cheese.
Can I get fries with that?
I wish they’d let me have a dog here at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
I think I’d like to get one of those rescued greyhounds.
Is there a reason they won’t let you have a puppy? ***All dogs are puppies to me, same as all cats are kitties to me.***
Pets aren’t allowed.