The sudden and violent loss of officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. yesterday should remind us of the sacrifice and courage of officers everywhere.
“Officer down” is a police chief’s worst nightmare. More importantly, it is a gut-wrenching loss for the officer’s wife, children and the community.
Our thoughts and prayers are with them. This is not a unique tragedy. I’ve had friends and colleagues gunned down in explosions of anger and aggression, again and again. Last year, the people of Massachusetts witnessed the attack on Boston police Sgt. John Moynihan. As we saw on video, it happens in a split second where the officer’s very life hangs in the balance.