"Now You're Done"...

Off duty Detective Stephen LeBert during a confrontation
with a motorist on Sunday, 26 July 2015

Imagine yourself being cut off by an unmarked vehicle on an unknown road after dark. You know you have made a wrong turn at an intersection and are now about to be confronted by a stranger leaping from his SUV -and who’s first words to you are - “Now you’re done”. Assuming you are about to become another victim of the “road rage” so prevalent throughout this country… you nervously wonder what will happen next.
But this stranger now identifies himself as a police officer and follows that with - “I’ll blow a hole right through your [expletive] head”. Hard to believe... Yes! But the whole incident was caught on camera and you can watch it here if you haven’t seen it already: 

http://www.cnn.com/…/massachusetts-detective-motorist-confr…

But my point in writing this article is not lash out at how amazingly stupid, unprofessional and arrogant this off-duty detective’s actions were. They have been caught on camera and I hope his career in law enforcement is over. He’s clearly not fit to carry a badge let alone a gun and is certainly not worthy of the public’s trust and confidence.

Instead my intent is to turn this into an opportunity to thank all the truly honest, brave and respectable law enforcement officers who do their job quietly, professionally and at some degree of personal risk everyday. Thankfully, in my experience… these are the only kind of police men and women I have ever known or dealt with.

Officers like Leroy Smith who was recently photographed helping a man wearing National Socialist Movement (KKK) attire up the stairs during a rally July 18 in South Carolina. These are the kind of police men and women who set the standard for others and who deserve our respect and support.

However, do we have problems with some of the police in this country? Yes, in my opinion we do… at least some extent and in some places. To many young, unarmed black men including Michael Brown and Darren Wilson have died recently by the hand of individual officers or police departments throughout this country to deny there are problems. And this is just one example. But as harsh and terrible a reality as this is… we can’t let it overshadow the overwhelming good done by tens of thousands of law enforcement officers each day throughout the county. It would be a classic case of stereotyping and letting "a few bad apples" spoil the whole batch to conclude otherwise.

And if even for a second you feel the police in this country are out of control, corrupt or undeserving of the public trust… believe me when I say there are places in this world where the situation is much worse. Places where the police are worse than worthless and will let physical harm come to an innocent teenage women at the hand of thugs simply for expressing her views. Then afterward turn their backs on her and refuse to offer assistance or help her find medical care. Their callous inaction in full view of hundreds of people. But even in these countries there are certainly still some fundamentally good, honest and respectable officers of the law.

Stephen LeBert and his actions are an example of most everything we don’t want to see in our police men and women.  But his inappropriate and unprofessional actions and behavior serve as a stark contrast against which to compare the outstanding work done by all the dedicated, professional and hard working police officers who patrol our communities each day… quietly and professionally looking out for our safety and the public interest.

And to these men and women in blue... we should each take a moment to say "Thank you" for all that they do!

Leroy Smith, who was recently photographed helping a man wearing
 National Socialist Movement (KKK) attire
 up the stairs during a rally July 18 in South Carolina.
Photo Credit: AP / Rob Godfrey