A long week at OPS.
Work has been hard.
Anyone who lives in my city knows we just lost an officer because of a senseless crime - a crime committed by a sociopath who will very likely be found Not Criminally Responsible for stabbing Cst. Czapnik, Eric, a husband and father of four, in the neck. This would be hard to stomach to most; to me, it is devastating. Not only did we lose someone from my place of work, who I work to protect, but we lost someone from my family. I have grown up in that building, around those people, living and breathing Ottawa Police. He was a hero, in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he and his family did not deserve this.
Everyone has been affected, as well. People who worked with him, people who didn't; officers, civilians, volunteers, family of OPS members, the public. Messages have been sent from forces all over the world, as well as dozens of other services like paramedics, detention centres and firefighters. Eric's death has been felt all over the world, and there is no happy ending for this story. After next week's funeral, his picture will be hanging in the lobby of 474 Elgin with all the other officers we don't get back.
The public have been wonderful, calling to express their condolences and to inquire about details for the funeral, but there are still those uneducated, obnoxious, waste-of-a-human-being ASSHOLES out there; like the cretin who felt it was appropriate to write about another "useless cop" and "stupid pig" being off the road, and thanking God for this absolute tragedy in a written entry of a condolences book in the lobby of 474 Elgin, that is going to the family of the fallen officer. Fuck. You. Have you never required police? Will you never need them in an emergency? Or maybe you're bitter because the only interaction with officers has been when they've been arresting your sorry ass for being a detriment to society, whatever your crime? Whatever the reason, you're pathetic. Absolutely. Pathetic.
I found the following on a Facebook fan page for the Ottawa Police, and I think it absolutely rings true. So let's talk about those "useless cops" for a second.
You wonder why he pulled you over and gave you a ticket for speeding,
He just worked an accident where people died because they were going too fast.
You wonder why that cop was so mean,
He just got done working a case where a drunk driver killed a kid.
You work for 8 hours,
He works for up to 18 hours.
You drink hot coffee to stay awake,
The cold rain in the middle of the night keeps him awake.
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick,
He goes into work still hurt and sore from the guy he had to fight the night before.
You drink your coffee on your way to the mall,
He spills his as he runs code to a traffic crash with kids trapped inside.
You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket before you leave the house,
He makes sure his gun is clean and fully loaded and his vest is tight.
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you,
He watches his buddy get shot at, and wounded in front of him.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls,
He walks down the highway looking for body parts from a traffic crash.
You complain about how hot it is,
He wears fifty pounds of gear and a bullet proof vest in July and still runs around chasing crackheads.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong,
He runs out before he gets his food to respond to an armed robbery.
You get out of bed in the morning and take your time getting ready,
He gets called out of bed at 2 am after working 12 hours and has to be into work A.S.A.P. for a homicide.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone,
He holds the hair of some college girl while she’s puking in the back of his patrol car.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over,
His shift ended 4 hours ago and there’s no end in sight.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight,
He can't make any plans because on his off days he still gets called back into work.
You yell and scream at the squad car that just past you because they slowed you down,
He's in the driver seat of the squad car, going to cut somebody out of their car.
You roll your eyes when a baby cries in public,
He picks up a dead child in his arms and prays that it was crying.
You criticize your police dept and say they're never there quick enough,
He blasts the siren while the person in front of him refuses to move while talking on their cell phone.
You hear the jokes about fallen officers and say they should have known better,
He is a hero and runs into situations when everyone else is running away in order to make sure no-one else gets hurt and loses his life doing it.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents, You don't,
He would take a bullet for his buddy without question.
You sit there and judge him, saying that it’s a waste of money to have them around,
Yet as soon as you need help he is there.
A hero is a "person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities." Cst. Czapnik and every other man and woman walking that blue line is a hero. Every single day, 24/7, 365 days a year. Period.
Anyone who lives in my city knows we just lost an officer because of a senseless crime - a crime committed by a sociopath who will very likely be found Not Criminally Responsible for stabbing Cst. Czapnik, Eric, a husband and father of four, in the neck. This would be hard to stomach to most; to me, it is devastating. Not only did we lose someone from my place of work, who I work to protect, but we lost someone from my family. I have grown up in that building, around those people, living and breathing Ottawa Police. He was a hero, in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he and his family did not deserve this.
Everyone has been affected, as well. People who worked with him, people who didn't; officers, civilians, volunteers, family of OPS members, the public. Messages have been sent from forces all over the world, as well as dozens of other services like paramedics, detention centres and firefighters. Eric's death has been felt all over the world, and there is no happy ending for this story. After next week's funeral, his picture will be hanging in the lobby of 474 Elgin with all the other officers we don't get back.
The public have been wonderful, calling to express their condolences and to inquire about details for the funeral, but there are still those uneducated, obnoxious, waste-of-a-human-being ASSHOLES out there; like the cretin who felt it was appropriate to write about another "useless cop" and "stupid pig" being off the road, and thanking God for this absolute tragedy in a written entry of a condolences book in the lobby of 474 Elgin, that is going to the family of the fallen officer. Fuck. You. Have you never required police? Will you never need them in an emergency? Or maybe you're bitter because the only interaction with officers has been when they've been arresting your sorry ass for being a detriment to society, whatever your crime? Whatever the reason, you're pathetic. Absolutely. Pathetic.
I found the following on a Facebook fan page for the Ottawa Police, and I think it absolutely rings true. So let's talk about those "useless cops" for a second.
You wonder why he pulled you over and gave you a ticket for speeding,
He just worked an accident where people died because they were going too fast.
You wonder why that cop was so mean,
He just got done working a case where a drunk driver killed a kid.
You work for 8 hours,
He works for up to 18 hours.
You drink hot coffee to stay awake,
The cold rain in the middle of the night keeps him awake.
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick,
He goes into work still hurt and sore from the guy he had to fight the night before.
You drink your coffee on your way to the mall,
He spills his as he runs code to a traffic crash with kids trapped inside.
You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket before you leave the house,
He makes sure his gun is clean and fully loaded and his vest is tight.
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you,
He watches his buddy get shot at, and wounded in front of him.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls,
He walks down the highway looking for body parts from a traffic crash.
You complain about how hot it is,
He wears fifty pounds of gear and a bullet proof vest in July and still runs around chasing crackheads.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong,
He runs out before he gets his food to respond to an armed robbery.
You get out of bed in the morning and take your time getting ready,
He gets called out of bed at 2 am after working 12 hours and has to be into work A.S.A.P. for a homicide.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone,
He holds the hair of some college girl while she’s puking in the back of his patrol car.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over,
His shift ended 4 hours ago and there’s no end in sight.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight,
He can't make any plans because on his off days he still gets called back into work.
You yell and scream at the squad car that just past you because they slowed you down,
He's in the driver seat of the squad car, going to cut somebody out of their car.
You roll your eyes when a baby cries in public,
He picks up a dead child in his arms and prays that it was crying.
You criticize your police dept and say they're never there quick enough,
He blasts the siren while the person in front of him refuses to move while talking on their cell phone.
You hear the jokes about fallen officers and say they should have known better,
He is a hero and runs into situations when everyone else is running away in order to make sure no-one else gets hurt and loses his life doing it.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents, You don't,
He would take a bullet for his buddy without question.
You sit there and judge him, saying that it’s a waste of money to have them around,
Yet as soon as you need help he is there.
A hero is a "person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities." Cst. Czapnik and every other man and woman walking that blue line is a hero. Every single day, 24/7, 365 days a year. Period.