I'm sick of this motto that the Cops have to go home safe. When did they stop laying their lives on the line? I've read, seen, watched years of the COP shows, and one or two would breech homes with a reported shooter.
If the initials reports are true, this Cop was a coward or incompetent. I've was only a lowly aviation sailor, but I know I would have made an effort crawling along ground and the looking for the first opportunity to divert his attention from the kids and buy time for backup. If it meant me being killed, so be it. They were children for gawd sake.
I first became disgruntled with some LEOs while watching them pull out of ground zero in the Rodney King LA riots. The city experienced a literal hell from that crappy decision. Then there is Ferguson and Baltimore. Need I go on?
I believe many LE departments have gone soft on their patrol types and rely too much on SWAT. Marines, Army Infantry, Army Delta, SEALs all move forward to the sound of gunfire, if even just one.
What are policeman for nowadays? Writing tickets and domestic disturbances? While watching COPS, we are often amazed how quickly they body slam someone down just because the perp tensed his arm, which is a sub-conscience reaction. Then when down and with large cop knees weighing on the perp's back, they keep yelling, "Stop resisting" because the guy or girl couldn't get their arm out from under their body. Of course there are many times they DO resist and get what hey deserve. However, we see many times the Cops talk some down and resolve the dispute peacefully and maybe with no arrests. Yes, most of the perps are trash and the cops find drugs and weapons. But I do think some Cops over-react. In this case, the Deputy under-reacted. Again, children!
Like President Trump mentioned to a widow, "He knew what he was getting into". Of course, better phrasing would have been, "He knew what he volunteered for has has our upmost respect" The Deputy knew he should put his life on the line to protect our children. He didn't according to reports. We'll see if the above reports are true and any extenuating circumstance that kept the Deputy from moving in.
Good thing Steve Scalise's security detail was not of this mindset.