Chaplains provide comfort to law enforcement after Trump rally shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — In light of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, there is the trauma associated with an event like that.
Everyone can process this differently. There is a law enforcement chaplain conference in Downtown Pittsburgh this week. In light of this situation, KDKA-TV asked them how they could help law enforcement struggling to cope.
"You just pick up the pieces of situations. You didn't cause them. All you are doing your best to address them. Sometimes it works out well, other times we did the best we could," Jim Bontrager, the International Conference of Police Chaplains president, said.
This past weekend showed the worst of humanity. While it ended up being tragic and creating trauma for spectators, Bontrager said dealing with violence is routine for officers.
"Unfortunately, welcome to the reality of law enforcement. You just got a window into this event. You just got a window into the tragedy law enforcement officers deal with," Bontrager said.
Bontrager attributes political rhetoric to the cause of this incident. He said police are stuck in the middle between the two political ideologies like a parent between squabbling children.
"We're taking individuals who have heated discussions about stuff to the point it spills over into violence. They're expected to pick up the pieces and do it in a flawless way and that's just not reality," Bontrager said.
In the end, he hopes he and other chaplains can provide an outlet for officers to seek the help they may need.
"What individuals don't realize is we have normal human beings called to do an abnormal job," Bontrager said.
A small conversation can go a long way toward healing and unifying.