TWO PRAYER VIGILS SCHEDULED
Two prayer vigils are planned in Middletown to honor those police officers killed in Dallas.
A vigil will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday outside the City Building, 1 Donham Plaza.
Another vigil is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Windamere, 2 S. Main St.
The public is invited to both events.
The shots that rang out nearly 1,000 miles away Thursday night in Dallas were felt throughout Butler County police departments and communities.
In Dallas, bullets rained Thursday, piercing 12 unassuming police officers and killing five in the deadliest day for law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001.
And more blood was shed: In Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, and in suburban St. Louis, Mo., Friday, where an officer took three bullets in the back during a traffic stop. Then in Georgia, where a man allegedly called 911, reported a break-in, and loaded gunfire upon the responding officer.
While some law enforcement officials questioned the deadly forced used by two white police officers earlier in the week, they said ambushing officers at an otherwise peaceful anti-police protest Thursday night was a tragic and inappropriate response.
Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw called the killings “horrible, just awful” and said the violence against officers shows the mindset of people is “unreal these days.”
Muterspaw pointed out that when the shooting started, police officers were protecting the same people protesting them, the same people holding anti-police signs.
“That’s impressive in any measure,” he said. “That’s not normal. The average person would run. But not police. That’s what we do.”
On Friday morning, Muterspaw sent a message to all his officers. He told them to support each other and take additional precautions during calls. He wants his officers to cover for each other, even if that means delaying response to a non-emergency call.
“It’s a dangerous job,” he said. “You saw that last night.”
Social media is bringing the “tensions” and divide between the black community and police officers to the forefront, said Amanda Gillespie, assistant professor of political science at Miami University.
For America to move forward following the Dallas shootings, and the previous racial unrest between citizens and the police, she said officers need to be held accountable and departments need to be transparent.
“We need to speak the truth about it,” said Gillespie, 32. “There will be mistakes. We need to have openly talk about America’s racial history and present.”
In a Facebook message posted just after the shootings in Dallas, Muterspaw wrote, “America is more divisive than I have ever seen it. It is torn. It has to stop. Good officers are here for you. Bad officers need to get out of the profession immediately. Good officers deserve good pay, good benefits and your support. Bad officers deserve a termination and maybe more.”
Gillespie called the last three days of violence “complete sadness,” but said the country can move forward. She called the road to healing “a long and painful process.”
Before the suspect was killed in Dallas, he told police he was “upset about Black Lives Matter, he was upset about the recent police shootings, he was upset at white people,” said Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown. “The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
When Gillespie learned the alleged snipers were targeting white Dallas police officers, she was shocked the motive was determined and released so quickly.
“That’s a tragedy no matter the motivation,” she said. “I hesitate to assign blame until the investigation is over.”
Jacques Buchanan, a 24-year-old black man from Middletown, said he was upset by the recent shootings that killed police officers and two black men in Baton Rouge, La. and Saint Paul, Minn.
“I wish all of this would stop because I want to feel comfortable and this violence has to stop against black people,” Jacques said. “And I don’t agree with the violence against the police.”
Heather Hamblin, 29, a rookie on the Hamilton police department, said the events in Dallas won’t change how she approaches being a police officer.
“I take every day with the same mentality to be prepared for what might happen,” said Hamblin, who previously worked as a corrections officer for the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Hamilton police department. “We have to fall back on our training. In all honesty, our training is what keeps us alive.”
After five weeks on the job, Hamblin, a 2005 Badin High School graduate, said she “can’t imagine” losing a fellow officer.
“I’m sure it’s absolutely devastating,” she said.
Betsy Hope has always considered her husband’s job as a police officer dangerous, but lately, “it has become more scary. I really don’t understand attacking someone because of their job that they chose to because the wanted to help people.”
Hope, who works for the Hamilton Community Foundation, noted there is much more to her husband’s job than the police work typically portrayed in the media.
“It is about helping people in need and dealing with individuals in individual situations,” Hope said. “I just don’t understand throwing a blanket of fear over people who are trying to do their jobs to keep people safe.”
The Hamilton Police Department Facebook page was filled Friday with posts of appreciation from residents.
The Middletown Division of Police “received so much support today and many, many prayers in our inbox,” according to its Facebook page.
“The sentiments keep pouring in,” a message posted to the page read. “We can’t say enough how much your support means to us. Our officers want you to know that your thank you messages and prayers are very much appreciated.”
About the Author
