“He was out doing his job in the early-morning hours, in the city, [in] a very dangerous situation, and … put his life on the line, and tragically has lost his life doing his job,” Chief Bill Blair told reporters.
Whenever we read about brave and selfless professional law enforcement officers who, in relative obscurity die in the line of duty keeping us safe, we cannot help but feel a collective sense of sadness for a selfless life lost too soon.
Why do these things happen, especially under the somewhat unusual circumstances of being run down by a shoeless man driving a snowplow?
Recognizing that the perpetrator of this crime is 100% responsible for the death of the officer (Sgt. Ryan Russell, 35, who was married with a young child), and that the full weight of the law should be brought to bear on this individual, there are nonetheless a number of questions that need to be answered.
The Russell Family
Joining me on a Special News Bulletin edition of the PI Window is the Cop Doc Richard Weinblatt to provide his thoughts on this morning’s tragedy. You can access the on-demand version of the broadcast through the following link; Special News Bulletin: Toronto Police Officer Killed by Stolen Snowplow
"The Cop Doc" Richard Weinblatt
The Cop Doc:
Dr. Richard Weinblatt, former police chief, is a police expert who has served as a criminal justice professor and police academy director/instructor.
He has worked in several regions of the country in reserve and full-time sworn positions ranging from auxiliary police lieutenant in New Jersey to patrol division deputy sheriff in New Mexico to Police Chief in North Carolina.
Dr. Weinblatt has written extensively on law enforcement topics since 1989. He has provided media commentary on police matters for local and national media including AP, CBS, CNN, HLN, MSNBC, and The Washington Post.
He is also a fellow Blog Talk Radio Host, having just launched his new show “The Cop Doc Radio Show” which airs LIVE from Orlando, Florida, Tuesday & Thursday nights from 10:00 pm-11:00 pm (EST).
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