Police Chief Says Public To Witness Heroism Caught On Tape
In the wake of Sunday's shooting at Detroit's 6th Precinct, Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee announced that a tape of the incident would be released to the media.
Godbee said that, in reviewing security video of the shooting, he witnessed officers' acts of heroism as they took down a gunman who burst into the building and opened fire.
Godbee, who has promised to run more transparent police operations in Detroit, called into 97.1 The Ticket's Valenti & Foster show, Tuesday afternoon, to talk more about why the community should see what's on this tape.
The Chief says it's not about the shock value, but something more.
"I don't think that people really realize what a police officer is up against -- especially in a split second. These officers' lives will never been the same again... especially Commander Brian Davis. Some of the things he did literally saved lives," Godbee said.
"To see it ... it really has an impact. As Chief of Police, I've seen a lot of things in twenty-four years with the Detroit Police Department...I saw it again today and it brought me to tears. And it reminds me of why we do what we do every day, and how serious the job is of being a law enforcement officer," he said.
In addition, Godbee said that he thinks there is much to be learned from this by, not only local police, but by law enforcement across the country.
"This is a teachable moment," Godbee said. "We can learn some lessons, you know, as to how we need to be vigilant, how to secure our facilities... So, I feel like we have a moral obligation to share this," he said.
Godbee said that regardless if he had chosen not to release the tape, it would be released eventually, regardless, under a media request through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
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Two of the four officers injured in the shooting have been released from the hospital. Precinct Commander Brian Davis and Sgt. David Anderson remained in stable condition, Tuesday. The gunman, since identified as 38-year-old Lamar Moore, was fatally shot during the attack.
