Outside the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph, two cardboard signs propped against a patrol car show the county’s support for officers killed in the recent Dallas shooting.

When the memorial was installed on the courthouse’s lawn, nobody knew that just days later, the community would be mourning a loss of its own.

It goes without saying that it is a difficult time to be a police officer anywhere in our country. Because of poor decisions made by a small amount of officers abusing authority and using excessive force, countless officers’ lives have been put on the line, creating tension that results in horrendous acts like the Dallas shooting last weekend.

If it is possible to have a silver lining to incidents like that shooting in Texas, we think it would be that a conversation has been started about the importance of public safety officials. Because the people who put their lives on the line to protect others were targeted, many realized just how valuable those dedicated officials are.

So when two Berrien County public safety officials were killed and another was injured Monday in St. Joseph, the gravity of the situation seemed even more severe.

While it is still unclear whether the shooting at the Berrien County courthouse was intended to target law enforcement — or if it was even a planned act at all — the tragedy shines a local light on the violence that has been occurring all over the country in the past year, and the hard work local officers put in to protect the people of Michiana.

Men in uniform share a level of camaraderie unmatched by many other professions. Like Joseph Zangaro and Ronald Kienzle, the two men killed in Monday’s shooting, law enforcement officials make a conscious decision to defend the people they serve, risking their own lives. Through this tragedy, that risk was realized, and we were reminded just how valuable these voluntary heroes are.

Even after seeing Larry Darnell Gordon shoot multiple officers, several more policemen headed into the fire in order to protect the civilians and fellow officers in the courthouse. Without their bravery, how many more people would be grieving the loss of loved ones today?

In a world where violence is becoming the norm and more and more lives are threatened, it is imperative that we support the brave men and women wholeheartedly dedicated to protecting and serving our communities.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.