A twenty-eight year old man was shot and killed Saturday evening in Corpus Christi. He had led police on a high speed chase and then a footrace. He drew a knife and moved toward the police. Mace did not work so the officer finally shot and killed the man. It was a tragic ending to a young life. Some bystanders immediately began to complain to the news camera that he wasn't even armed when he was shot. Wrong. He had a knife in one hand and a cell phone in another. It could have appeared to be a gun for a nervous officer. Just days ago a policeman was run over and killed by a man trying to evade arrest in the same city. Records have now shown this man was facing three arrest warrants, and was out on bond at the time. He had threatened to kill a former girlfriend and her family. His life had been filled with violent actions. It proved he was a real threat to those trying to arrest him.
In my way of thinking there is no excuse for anyone attempting to outrun or evade a policeman. If he or she doesn't stop they are taking their lives in their own hands. There are charges of police brutality over and over, and nearly, if not all of them, involve persons kicking and biting and fighting back while being arrested. These men and women protecting all of us live on the edge. They can quickly go from a coffee cup at Whataburger to facing some maniac with an AK 47.
The video game chases don't have real bullets. Their crashes hurt no one. But ours is a real world where bullets kill both victims and criminals. We need to teach children and youth to obey and respect the officers of the law. It's okay by me to fear them a little too.
