To Protect and Serve?

This is so tone-deaf that it almost defies belief:

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — A police union has given its Officer of the Year award to the policeman who shot and killed a college football player during a disturbance in the New York City suburbs.

Parents of the student, 20-year-old Danroy Henry Jr., of Easton, Mass., called the award insensitive and arrogant.

“We simply asked for truth and honesty, and we’ve gotten arrogance,” said Danroy Henry Sr. “Some people see themselves above the law and above simple human dignity.”

… The Police Benevolent Association of the Pleasantville Police Department said Wednesday it honored Officer Aaron Hess for his dignity and professionalism since the October shooting and throughout his career.

In all fairness, I can’t say that I know anything of Hess’ record beyond the fatal shooting of Henry. But I can’t imagine what sort of miracles that he would need to perform to outstrip that sort of stain on his record.

Particularly in the same calendar year.

Either it says an awful lot about the sort of police officer that he is most of the time or it says less than something about his colleagues.

Without knowing the answer, my best advice is to steer clear of Thornwood, N.Y., if at all possible. Some of us can’t afford to risk our good fortune to divine the difference.

Joel

Joel Anderson —blackink —  writes about sports, politics, crime, courts, and other issues far beyond his competence at BuzzFeed. He has worked at media outlets in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Atlanta and contributed to a number of publications, including The Root and The American Prospect, among many others.