Research on police deaths helps student understand current events

EDITORS NOTE: Francisco Fernandez is a senior in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He is part of a student research team that is gathering and analyzing data from the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit website that honors the 20,000 + members of law enforcement who were killed in the line of duty. Data from this year show a 94 percent increase in the number of officers killed by gunfire. That includes the five Dallas officers and three members of Baton Rouge law enforcement who were purposely gunned down.  

by Francisco Fernandez

Working on professor Michael White's "Officer Down" Project has definitely impacted my perspective on the current situations involving police officers. As a member of the research team, I have documented countless police deaths. The majority of officers lost their lives while protecting their communities.

It’s definitely depressing hearing about the loss of a human life. No family wants to be told that their loved one has passed away because of a bullet. I found it difficult to make a proper judgment on the situation. I did see the video clip of the officer's shooting the alleged offender in Baton Rouge. I was shocked and disturbed by the fact that a man had lost his life, especially when he was already on the ground. I thought what everyone else is currently thinking: "How can this happen?"

However, I had to put Dr. White’s work and that of lecturer Coy Johnston’s teachings into perspective. Professor White is a one-time sheriff's deputy who has done extensive research on police use-of-force. Johnston is a retired police officer. One of the most important things I have learned from them is that someone cannot judge a situation leading into a shooting unless they were there every moment leading up to it.

The public is only given a portion of what happened, and sometimes that portion is biased for either party. The news media can be extremely manipulative and only advertises headlines that will reel people in. Yes, I do realize there are corrupted officers that do not deserve to wear a badge, but there are numerous honorable ones that genuinely care about the public.

The news media can make it appear as if all police officers are corrupted and have a hidden agenda. That's just not the case. I have a sister who is an ASU alumna and is currently a police officer for the Tempe Police Department. My sister is far from racist. I saw how much she struggled since she is Hispanic and a woman in the field, to be where she is at. It frustrates me when the general public has such hate toward police officers. My sister decided to be a police officer with the hopes of saving people's lives and demonstrating to the public that not everyone is out for blood.

On top of that, I worry that the public will lash out towards police officers. People often forget that members of law enforcement have a family to go home to at the end of their shift. So, yes, it makes me quite mad when people decide to group every single officer as a “pig.”

Overall, I feel that it's best to respect everyone’s opinion regarding the situation. I don’t necessarily think rioting against the police is the answer, either. I do believe many changes have to be made. Not only in police departments, but on a congressional level as well. In order for that to happen, the people who have the best interests towards others have to prevent those who are corrupted from being in power. Members of the public have to be motivated enough to get into positions where they have authority to make legal changes for the better.

Ranting on social media is great for awareness, but not for overall effect. I really hope people who deserve to be in high authority positions make the proper changes that our society needs. Actions speak louder than words, but violence is not the answer.