Trooper lost: We forget sometimes just how dangerous job can be

When we think about law enforcement personnel, we imagine them handing out tickets or taking leisurely patrols through neighborhoods.

We might be aware that there are times when they face danger, but our real life understanding of that danger comes from television. We do not understand how much risk these officers take every day just doing their job.

This past weekend, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper lost his life when he was struck by a speeding car as he tried to put down stop sticks to end the chase.

He was trying to stop a suspect who was trying to escape capture -- and his goal was to prevent the suspect from endangering the lives of others.

Instead, he sacrificed his own.

His story is just one of many.

And for every story that is told about incidents like this, there are even more close calls, when local law enforcement officers responding to calls face guns, violence and great personal risk.

That means right here in Wayne County, too.

It is important to remember that the men and women who work in these fields are out there protecting their communities, and do not hesitate to do what is necessary to accomplish that goal.

We might appreciate them, but this is a good reminder just how much they risk and how much they give.

Published in Editorials on September 10, 2012 10:37 AM