Minnesota Officer's Shooting Remind of Job's Risks
Ken (NY)
Edina, MN - 7/31/2001
St. Paul Pioneer-Press
BY MARA H. GOTTFRIED
All Jim Rygg could think when he heard about the Minneapolis police
officer who had been shot and wounded was "not another one."
Rygg was driving to his job as a patrol officer with the Edina police
Monday morning when he heard about Sunday night's shooting of
Minneapolis officer Ryan Rivers. The shooting is a chilling reminder
to police officers that they can face the same situation at any time.
This is the third time in the past year a Twin Cities officer has been
shot on duty.
In November, a bank robber shot and seriously injured Edina police
officer Michael Blood. Rygg and another officer shot and killed the
robber.
"It brings home some of the emotions that I and the other officers
went through," Rygg said. "You feel for that officer."
St. Paul Police Federation Vice President David Titus said he heard
St. Paul officers discussing the facts of the case Monday.
"As you hear about it, you're running through your mind your own
department's history," he said. "We relate to them because we're all
police and we all do the same job."
Columbia Heights Police Chief Thomas Johnson said his officers could
relate to officers in Minneapolis. Mike McGee, a Columbia Heights
officer, was shot and wounded by a neighbor on July 17.
"This is really on our minds," Johnson said. "The awareness factor is
always there, but especially at a time like this."
In Minneapolis, Deputy Chief Greg Hestness talked to officers during
an afternoon roll call on the north side of the city.
"This is two times in a little more than a week that they've had an
officer shot," he said. "It's highly unusual, but it's becoming
reality for them. It's kind of shocking, but it reminds us of the
genuine risk of our job."
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 62,000 law enforcement
officers are assaulted each year and 21,000 are injured.
Gene Sanders, director of the Police Stress Institute in California,
said a high level of anxiety pervades the profession.
"The main response after an officer is shot is a sense of "enough is
enough,' " said Sanders, who worked as a police officer before
becoming a police psychologist.
"There's a lot of anger. Another normal response is emotional numbing,
which can be really difficult to deal with."
Minneapolis Police Federation President John Delmonico said Sunday's
shooting caused him to question whether Minneapolis police officers
are properly equipped.
"This makes me ask whether we're being outgunned on the streets by
criminals," Delmonico said. "I don't think we are adequately equipped
to encounter these situations."
Rygg, the Edina patrol officer, said expectations for police officers
are changing.
"The old adage that an officer might not use his gun in his entire
career doesn't seem to hold true anymore," he said. "This just reminds
us that police officers have risky jobs. We can't be afraid, but we
have to be aware."
Ken (NY)
--
Chairperson,
Department of Redundancy Department
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