I was proud to see several of our police officers participating this weekend in the Seahawks 12K Run. Dressed in uniform and carrying more than 30 pounds of gear, officers Chris Greenwade, Tanuj Soni, Chris Nielsen and Cassidy Steed, along with his K-9 partner Fedor, ran the 7.25 miles in honor of those who were killed or injured during the Boston Marathon last week.
Most of us have been captivated with around-the-clock news coming out of Boston. This was another attack of terrorism on U.S. soil that claimed the lives of three people, including a young boy, and severely injured 175 innocent children, moms and dads, and citizens out to support Boston Marathon runners.
I couldn’t help but feel pride for the hundreds of police officers who swarmed into the community in search of the killers. These were not fleeing burglars or drug peddlers but heavily armed terrorists who had bombs and other explosive devices in addition to high-powered rifles and handguns. While the public was understandably scrambling away from the area, police officers were racing into the danger zone, going door to door in search of these killers.
It’s hard to truly comprehend the risk these officers put themselves in as they searched for individuals committed to killing anyone they encounter and willing to ultimately die on behalf of their cause. MIT Officer Sean Collier was executed by these killers and another police officer was critically wounded.
It’s a risk that comes with the job.
So it was heartwarming to see the level of respect and appreciation these officers received from Boston residents after both suspects had been captured. Cheering crowds lined the streets to thank them for risking their lives on behalf of the public. The police officers were honored as heroes.
Acts of terrorism are on the rise, but fortunately it’s still rare in our country. We still need to remember that police officers are at risk every day protecting society. Nearly 40 officers have died in the line of duty in our country already this year.
And we need to remember who it is we call and depend on when we need help. The residents of Boston know very well and will likely view police officers a little differently from now on.
Renton Mayor Denis Law can be reached at dlaw@rentonwa.gov.
