If I were a baseball player at bat and I swing before the ball is pitched, I’d have swung too early with useless result.
If I played football on the defensive side of the ball and I move before the ball is snapped, I moved too fast and catch a penalty.
If I were a race car driver and jump off before the green light or flag, I’m disqualified.
I’m none of those professional sports guys — I’m a cop.
I can’t wait till the punch is thrown.
I can’t wait till the gun is pointed at me.
I can’t wait for the first shot to ring out.
If I jump and make the first move it’s to protect my life from what I perceive to be dangerous or deadly.
I can’t wait to be hit first to respond to physical force against me.
We don’t have the luxury of weight, size, gender, or reach guidelines like a pro fighter to protect us.
We are being out gunned, outnumbered, and many times overpowered.
So the point here is clear for the work we do. If you hesitate in the face of danger or you allow the recent headlines to hold you back from doing your job in fear of being held accountable then you are making a life-threatening error.
We have a responsibility to the communities we protect — we have a bigger responsibility to ourselves and our loved ones.
He/she who hesitates in our line of work can be making a fatal mistake.
We must be vigilant and tactical, always.
God bless all who do this job.