Not the right type of behavior for police officer

Every year high schools and towns across the country display obliterated cars in prominent locations near schools to remind teens of the dangers of speeding, driving under the influence and distracted driving. And every year high schools across America lose teens to car accidents. Parents bury their children. Students bury their classmates. Athletes bury their teammates. Grief counselors are brought in to help console the community. Patches are placed on sleeves of uniforms. Trees are planted in memory of the young souls lost too soon. Yearbook layouts are scrapped and re-imagined so space can be made to remember these precious and fragile lives. Tears are shed.

Almost unanimously people believe this is a tragedy and mourn with the community. Almost. Not so Charles County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Rob Glover, who posted a comment on Facebook about the fatal accidents [on March 3] involving teenagers in Waldorf: “[Expletive] ’em, shouldn’t have been driving that fast.”

This is the reaction of someone who has been sworn to protect and serve those very same children. This is the reaction of someone who probably claims to believe that “All Lives Matter.” This is the first responder who could potentially show up at the home of an autistic black child who is experiencing an episode of fear and is wielding a baseball bat.

Would I be right to be concerned that this officer does not value black life? Would I be right to be concerned that this officer might not try to do everything in his power to avoid using excessive force? Would I be right if I said this officer shouldn’t be on any police force anywhere because

he lacks the mental fitness for the job? I don’t think I am being too alarmist. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this officer is soon holding a smoking gun and there is a dead black male at the other end and circumstances surrounding the death are questionable. And yet he is still out patrolling the streets of a county with the following demographics.

“The racial makeup of the county was 50.3 percent white, 41.0 percent black or African American. Of the 51,214 households, 41.6 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them.”

People are trying to remind you that Black Lives Matter not because they want special treatment, but because they want humane treatment like most people are afforded. Residents of Charles County shouldn’t have to have their tax dollars pay the salar y of someone whose reaction to the death of their children is “[Expletive] ’em.”