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Community reflects on changes since officer shootings |
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Thursday, 02 August 2012 15:34 |
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The shooting has forever changed the Rapid City Police Department. This last year has been a year of mourning and reflection for the force but it's also been a time filled with tremendous community support. Black Hills FOX Reporter Zach Nugent has more.
Rapid City Police Chief Steve Allender says, "Frankly, I think about it every day, as I'm sure everyone else around here does." The shooting of August 2nd 2011 forever changed Rapid City. In the moments and days that followed the city grieved, as Officers Nick Armstrong and Ryan McCandless succumbed to their injuries, along with the shooter Daniel Tiger. Officer Tim Doyle severely injured and fighting for his life at the time. Allender says, "I know that it's injected a new level of vulnerability into the officers. It's helped them to be a little more vigilant, it's helped them to take even better care of each other and it's on their minds." Allender says since the shooting the department has looked internally to see if anything could have prevented such a tragedy but says they found officers acted in accordance and it was just a horrible incident, the kind you think will never happen here. It hasn't changed protocol, but Allender says it has changed mindsets throughout the community. Allender says, "I really didn't expect the community to be wounded to the extent they were, where they were afraid in their homes and where they were afraid this meant there was a race war coming." Allender says investigations show race had no bearing in last August's shooting. He says although some tension may remain, it's actually brought the community closer together. Allender says, "Public support has been the number one most surprising and most sustained effect of the whole shooting." So out of darkness comes light embraces stories of survival. It's all part of the healing process and it shows heroes will never be forgotten. Earlier Thursday, Officer Tim Doyle released a statement, saying he is thankful for the continued support for the Rapid City Police Department and says "Not a day goes by that I don't think of my heroes Nick and Ryan." Zach Nugent Black Hills FOX News. |
