Do the anthem-kneelers care that rookie Officer Brian Shaw was murdered?

NFL anthem-kneelers and their ignorant defenders like Stan Van Gundy claim that all they want is "social justice," a term with no real meaning whatsoever. What they actually want is a series of changes to the criminal justice system that would make it harder to keep criminals locked up, and harder for police officers to make a decision during a dangerous situation to defend themselves. We talked some months back about how the anthem-kneelers were creating an atmosphere that's making the streets more dangerous for police officers. Every time cops' lives are threatened, they have to consider whether the use of force to protect themselves will result in media recriminations, riots or denunciations from opportunistic politicians.

Tragically, it's too late for rookie officer Brian Shaw of New Kensington, Pennsylvania. He will never get married, become a father or walk his dog again. He was murdered by a career criminal who wasn't willing to cooperate with a simple traffic stop.

The shooting happened just after 8 p.m. Friday, when Shaw tried to pull over an SUV. Holt, who was the passenger, jumped out of the moving vehicle and Shaw ran after him, according to an affidavit. A surveillance footage shows Holt running to a nearby parking lot, where authorities said he shot Shaw. Peck said Holt fired six shots, striking Shaw multiple times. The officer, who was wearing a vest, was able to radio to the 911 center that he had been shot. He tried to stand up before he fell down and was not able to return fire, Peck told reporters. The surveillance footage shows Holt running toward the back of a building and into an alley after he shot Shaw, the affidavit said.

The 25-year-old officer, who had been with the New Kensington Police Department for less than a year, died at a hospital less than an hour later. The affidavit said he had multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. Police later found the SUV not far from where the shooting occurred. The suspected driver, 27-year-old Tavon Jamere Harper, was arrested over the weekend and is facing fleeing and drug-related charges, court records show. Harper told investigators that he was accompanying Holt when Shaw tried to pull them over. After Holt leaped out, Harper said he kept driving, "clipping" Holt as he fled, the affidavit said.

Now consider: When an officer pulls over a vehicle, everyone is supposed to stay in the car unless he tells them to get out. When Holt jumped out of the car and took off running, Shaw was armed and could have pointed his gun at Holt and ordered him to stop. Had Holt continued running at that point, Shaw could have fired. Had he done so, however, you know damn well what would have happened. The media would have screamed that Shaw "shot a black man in the back." They would have played up the racial angle. Even when it came out that Holt was indeed armed, Shaw would have been accused of firing with no indication that Holt intended to reach for his gun.

Then we need to consider the fact that, at some point during the chase, Holt did indeed reach for his gun. When Shaw saw this happen, his training would have suggested he should fire to protect himself. Did he consider doing so but question himself? Was afraid to make a mistake because he didn't want to be accused of racist police brutality? We'll never know because Shaw can't tell us, because he's dead, because a criminal brutally murdered him, ending both his life and his career when they were just getting started. Do the anthem-kneelers, who blame the entire country for a handful of shootings of suspects - some of which didn't happen the way they claim - care at all about the hundreds of police officers who are murdered while simply trying to do their jobs? Do they care that their actions contribute to the jeopardy these men and women face? Know what? I don't think they do. Why should I think they care about the safety of people they slander on a weekly basis. God bless the family, friends and colleagues of Officer Brian Shaw, may the Lord rest his soul. And a pox on the houses of the ignorant athletes and coaches who slander these good people with their damnable protests and defenses of same.

Dan Calabrese——Bio and Archives

Dan Calabrese’s column is distributed by HermanCain.com, which can be found at HermanCain

Follow all of Dan’s work, including his series of Christian spiritual warfare novels, by liking his page on Facebook.