Interesting night last night. Around 6:00 pm I called Pastor Bains. He was in Monterey at a church conference and was hastily preparing to return. Pastor Bains is head of the EPA police chaplaincy. Shortly thereafter the news reported that the officer that was involved in the shooting was killed. A 14 year old police explorer who was doing a ride along with the slain officer witnessed the homicide and called the report in.
Last night there was a tremendous amount of police activity in the area as a manhunt ensued for the killer. Police helicopters were in the air until the wee hours of the morning with spotlights searching for the individual. This morning the TV news reported that the gunman was captured.
Read the article here. The Merc seems to have the best article about the incident.
The officer is survived by a wife and three children. Please pray for the officer's family. Also Pastor Bains and all the chaplains will have an intense week ministering to and counseling the police department. Please hold them up in prayer.
Geez - relocation. One of the concepts that we have embraced in our life. Relocation simply means that if we are to be effective in the city God has called us to we need to plant our lives in that city. Sometimes it costs. On New Years Eve one of our neighbors decided to shoot his gun off into the air. Well - as he was shooting a police car rolled up (we live a few doors down from a substation - making the neighbors actions even more absurd). Well - within minutes we had about 10 cops surrounding the neighboring apartment complex, guns drawn. Samuel was freaked out, laying prostrate on the floor to avoid any shots (there were none). After a few tense moments, the police pulled all the people out of the apartment where the shooter fled, including some of our friends.
We love our neighborhood and city - really. Sometimes being around the drama and violence gets a little taxing. As a father I sometimes ask myself if I'm being a good provider / caretaker for my family. I remind myself that there are many benefits to living where we do. God is and has been faithful. I trust in His faithfulness.
hey - thanks for the words and insights
ReplyDeletepeace,
matthew (angi's guy)