The Call Box - A Brutal Attack
http://www.leoff1.net/articles/79/1/The-Call-Box---A-Brutal-Attack/Page1.html
By Jerry Taylor
Published on 11/4/2009
As I sat down to write this article I found myself consumed with a flood of emotions stemming from the brutal assassination of Officer Tim Brenton.
We are all deeply saddened by this event. It is impossible to fully express our sympathy for Officer Brenton’s family and our hope that they are provided with the support and resources to weather the grief. In an instant, children lost their father and a wife became a widow. I know that all Seattle Police Officers, active and retired, are experiencing these same emotions. Indeed the entire law enforcement community feels the same.
Tim was a Seattle Police Officer and part of our family.
That family is even more personal. Boyd (Buzz) Brenton is Tim’s father. Buzz is a retired Seattle Police Officer. Tom Brenton, another retired Seattle Police Officer, is Tim’s uncle. This death is not only within the police family but also in a family of police.
Our concerns, thoughts and prayers are with the Brenton family.
In like manner, we have concerns for Officer Brit Sweeney. At the dawn of her career, she has had to experience this vicious attack and the loss of her partner. She will carry the tragedy of this incident throughout her life. We are all proud of her response under the stress of this attack. Her actions do her credit and speak well for the quality of training the department is providing. We hope that everyone will lend his or her support in helping her cope with and heal from this event.
This planned, cowardly and vicious attack has great ramifications. Unlike the usual types of “line of duty” deaths where an officer is killed responding to a robbery or a domestic violence call, this is an attack on society itself. Officer Brenton was killed not because he was trying to arrest a suspect or stop a crime; but solely because he was an officer.
Simply put, that means that every officer everywhere is at risk. If the police are at risk, then the entire community is as well.
I hope this serves as a “wakeup call” to all of the politicians, activists and media folks that regularly decry the failures when one of the human beings they have thrust into one of the most difficult jobs in society screws up. Policing is the core barrier that keeps the jungle away from our doorsteps. This attack is an attack on the shield of society itself.
We are blessed with one of the best police departments in the country. The men and women who make up the department are dedicated professionals. As expected, they have quickly identified and arrested the suspect in this slaying. I know they are using every resource to determine if this was one crazed individual or a broader threat. Regardless of the final determination, this crime is particularly heinous as it represents an attack not just on an individual but also of the core of public safety itself.
I spent almost 28 years as a Seattle Police Officer. By the time I retired the job was a lot harder than when I started. I know it has gotten harder since. I am proud that the men and women of the department would even serve. I am prouder still that they do it so well.
(Note: This article was written for publication in the "Call Box". The Call Box is the quarterly newsletter of the Retired Seattle Police Officers' Association. The Call Box was published prior to the recent incident in Parkland where four Lakewood Police Officers were murdered.)
As I sat down to write this article I found myself consumed with a flood of emotions stemming from the brutal assassination of Officer Tim Brenton.
We are all deeply saddened by this event. It is impossible to fully express our sympathy for Officer Brenton’s family and our hope that they are provided with the support and resources to weather the grief. In an instant, children lost their father and a wife became a widow. I know that all Seattle Police Officers, active and retired, are experiencing these same emotions. Indeed the entire law enforcement community feels the same.
Tim was a Seattle Police Officer and part of our family.
That family is even more personal. Boyd (Buzz) Brenton is Tim’s father. Buzz is a retired Seattle Police Officer. Tom Brenton, another retired Seattle Police Officer, is Tim’s uncle. This death is not only within the police family but also in a family of police.
Our concerns, thoughts and prayers are with the Brenton family.
As I sat down to write this article I found myself consumed with a flood of emotions stemming from the brutal assassination of Officer Tim Brenton.
We are all deeply saddened by this event. It is impossible to fully express our sympathy for Officer Brenton’s family and our hope that they are provided with the support and resources to weather the grief. In an instant, children lost their father and a wife became a widow. I know that all Seattle Police Officers, active and retired, are experiencing these same emotions. Indeed the entire law enforcement community feels the same.
Tim was a Seattle Police Officer and part of our family.
That family is even more personal. Boyd (Buzz) Brenton is Tim’s father. Buzz is a retired Seattle Police Officer. Tom Brenton, another retired Seattle Police Officer, is Tim’s uncle. This death is not only within the police family but also in a family of police.
Our concerns, thoughts and prayers are with the Brenton family.
As I sat down to write this article I found myself consumed with a flood of emotions stemming from the brutal assassination of Officer Tim Brenton. We are all deeply saddened by this event. It is impossible to fully express our sympathy for Officer Brenton’s family and our hope that they are provided with the support and resources to weather the grief. In an instant, children lost their father and a wife became a widow. I know that all Seattle Police Officers, active and retired, are experiencing these same emotions. Indeed the entire law enforcement community feels the same.
Tim was a Seattle Police Officer and part of our family.
That family is even more personal. Boyd (Buzz) Brenton is Tim’s father. Buzz is a retired Seattle Police Officer. Tom Brenton, another retired Seattle Police Officer, is Tim’s uncle. This death is not only within the police family but also in a family of police.
Our concerns, thoughts and prayers are with the Brenton family.
In like manner, we have concerns for Officer Brit Sweeney. At the dawn of her career, she has had to experience this vicious attack and the loss of her partner. She will carry the tragedy of this incident throughout her life. We are all proud of her response under the stress of this attack. Her actions do her credit and speak well for the quality of training the department is providing. We hope that everyone will lend his or her support in helping her cope with and heal from this event.
This planned, cowardly and vicious attack has great ramifications. Unlike the usual types of “line of duty” deaths where an officer is killed responding to a robbery or a domestic violence call, this is an attack on society itself. Officer Brenton was killed not because he was trying to arrest a suspect or stop a crime; but solely because he was an officer.
Simply put, that means that every officer everywhere is at risk. If the police are at risk, then the entire community is as well.
I hope this serves as a “wakeup call” to all of the politicians, activists and media folks that regularly decry the failures when one of the human beings they have thrust into one of the most difficult jobs in society screws up. Policing is the core barrier that keeps the jungle away from our doorsteps. This attack is an attack on the shield of society itself.
We are blessed with one of the best police departments in the country. The men and women who make up the department are dedicated professionals. As expected, they have quickly identified and arrested the suspect in this slaying. I know they are using every resource to determine if this was one crazed individual or a broader threat. Regardless of the final determination, this crime is particularly heinous as it represents an attack not just on an individual but also of the core of public safety itself.
I spent almost 28 years as a Seattle Police Officer. By the time I retired the job was a lot harder than when I started. I know it has gotten harder since. I am proud that the men and women of the department would even serve. I am prouder still that they do it so well.