One cop to another on Jan. 6 insurrection
DEAR EDITOR:
I was both angered and saddened by the letter submitted by Bob Sherman from Kelowna (Herald, Aug. 12).
Sherman refers to himself as a police officer and without saying so directly, he clearly presents himself as an expert who is qualified to speak to such matters.
While I respect Sherman for being a 31 year member, I cannot condone his tone, his arrogance and his message that he tries to sell. Why do I get to say this? Because as a 28 year member, I too have a professional opinion on this matter.
Sherman describes the US Capitol police officers as “glorified security guards, suited to directing tourists” and that it appeared that they were “auditioning for the Oprah Show.”
During their testimony at the hearings, several broke down as they relived the emotions of that day.
Instead of being sympathetic, understanding and compassionate, he goes on to refer to them twice as tearful, moaners and crybabies.
Sherman states, “the truly violent people in Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis called the cops much worse and threatened their lives for real with thrown dangerous objects and arson attacks,” implying that this day in Washington wasn’t really violent at all. He says this, despite the evidence of the beatings, the objects been thrown, the threats to try and kill one officer with his own gun. And then there is the fallout. One officer dead from the physical injuries of that day. Four officers dead from suicide from the emotional injuries they suffered. But, Sherman negates that. The only compassion he shows is for Ashley Babbit, the civilian killed that day, who was “gunned down by a trigger-happy Capital police lieutenant,” He then professes his expertise that this was a “classic bad shooting”, based solely on a five second video.
Sherman is a Trump supporter, who believes that this attempt to overthrow democracy, was justified. He insinuates that Nancy Pelosi arranged to leave security lax, in order to incriminate Trump. He calls the USCCP “another pawn in the never-ending clown show directed by the out-of-control leftwing Democrats.”
In other words, his opinions are based on politics and not facts, something that he himself criticized early in his letter.
Mr. Sherman, you called the US Capital Police an embarrassment to law enforcement. Sadly, it is you, a dinosaur of policing, who is the true embarrassment.
James Bawtinheimer, Chilliwack