It is said that stress from this job could be the reason why so many officers are overweight out of shape and just mentally and physically challenged in their daily tours of duty.
When you read, hear, and see officers being taken to task for doing the very job they were hired to do, being beat down by the politicians, the media and all the civic leaders who cry foul every time we put our hands on someone or even worse, fire a defensive round into someone to save our or another’s life. We are the ones who are held accountable. Rightfully so, we are the professionals, we are supposed to justify our actions, we are the ones who have to explain in writing at a dept hearing and maybe even a grand jury as to why we took the action we did.
The most important thing you can remember is believe in yourself and believe that whatever action you took was with good intention for the proper reason and that you had no other options at that time. Will everyone else take weeks, months, years to decide if you were right or wrong, of course. Will you be dragged through the hell hole we call the media circus of course you will. Don’t get sick over it, don’t let it eat out your stomach, and don’t let it take your life. Seek help if and when you need it, talk to someone even if you think you don’t. This is a worthy profession, sometimes the people we protect are not worthy of our sacrifices.
Be well. Be safe. Be tactical. Be justified.
Get to retirement and have fun with your life.