A Special Post For Officer Jason Ellis. May He Rest In Peace.

 

This post is going to be way different than the rest.  Tonight I'm focusing on law enforcement.  Specifically the death of Bardstown, Kentucky police officer Jason Ellis.  On May 25, 2013 in the early morning hours, Officer Ellis was headed home from his shift working for the Bardstown Police Department just like hundreds of mornings prior.  Only, on this morning, Officer Ellis would never make it home.  While his wife and two young sons slept, he was gunned down on Exit 34.  He died where he fell.  There have been no arrests made in this case.  After hundreds of leads and thousands of interviews, there still remains no suspect.  I have followed this case from day 1, but today, reading the following report, it really it home.  So much of what is described matches almost identically to what has and what does happen in my life daily.  It's really sort of eerie for me.  Her routine.  His routine.  Her reactions. His reactions.  The unanswered phone calls.  The forgotten goodbye kiss.  The conversations she has with her friends.  The conversations he has with his best friend who just happens to be one of his shift partners.  This story could just as easily use the names Michelle and Jeremy.  I am not kidding.  Please, read this now Exit 34. 

September, 2013 at the funeral of Indianapolis Metro Police Officer Rod Bradway

 

I can't even begin to imagine the grief Mrs. Ellis is going through.  It would be hard enough to deal with knowing who did this and why.  I talked to Jeremy about this earlier.  We discussed different theories and what type of person would do something like this.  You know, Jeremy (just like every other police officer out there) is threatened often and defendants say very intimidating things all the time.  Most of the time you just chalk it up to they were drunk, high, crazy, etc...  You don't ever really let yourself think that they were serious or that they would ever really do what they said.  But how do you know?  Answer:  You don't.  And yet, even though our Officers never really know what's going to happen, they show up for work anyway.  I wonder how many people out there would show up for work the next day, let alone complete the current work day, if someone threatened to kill them.  I wonder how many would  make a career change if that happened.  I wonder how many would continue on if one of their co-workers was killed at work.  My guess would be not too many.  Point is, it takes a special type of person to do what police officers do.  And it really does take a special type of person to be the spouse or significant other of a police officer.  You have to be able to let stuff roll off daily.  You can't take anything too personal or too serious.  And, you have to have a lot of faith in the man upstairs.  And believe me, I pray every single day for all law enforcement.  They need that.  So, if praying is something you do, please say a prayer for our officers tonight.  And while your at it, please say one for Officer Ellis' widow.  I know I will.