Widow: Police officers and their families deserve justice
This week is National Police Week, a time for remembrance as we unite as a nation to honor and pay tribute to the lives of our fallen heroes who courageously served and protected our communities across the country. Here in North Carolina, we mourn the second anniversary of Mooresville Police Department K9 Officer Jordan Sheldon. Our community is also grappling with anguish fathoming the recent line-of-duty deaths of Watauga County deputies Sergeant Chris Ward and K9 Officer Logan Fox just last week on a welfare check call.
A calling to selflessly serve the community was a duty, my husband, Concord Police Officer Jason Shuping, upheld with honor until his last breath. On Dec. 16, 2020, with a mere hour and 17 minutes left until his shift ended, he was pronounced dead after being shot and killed on the scene by an attempted carjacker. He was the first Concord Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1898. To make matters worse, Concord Police Officer Kaleb Robinson was also shot and injured in the altercation. Thankfully he recovered and chose to valiantly return to policing to continue his commitment to service.
As a widow of a fallen police officer, I am writing to bring awareness to the sacrifices our men and women in blue make to safeguard their communities and garner support for greater legal protections for all law enforcement officers who are deliberately assaulted or killed in the line-of-duty. Many police families have had the unfortunate experience of losing loved ones who choose to take the oath, a sacrifice they make to protect and serve their communities that may not always appreciate them.
The families of fallen heroes are living in a nightmare they cannot escape having to adjust to a new “normal” way of life without having our loved ones by our side. To see the community bleeding blue in support of our local fallen heroes is heartwarming yet bittersweet. The public outcry in response to these line-of-duty deaths in our communities is too empowering for legislators to ignore.
After speaking with legislators following my husband’s death, I was mortified to discover there is currently not an applicable federal law that punishes criminals who assault or kill state and local law enforcement officers in the line of duty. Right now, federal law punishes assaults on federal law officers, but not assaults on state and local officers.
The surge in violence targeting law enforcement officers is happening at exceedingly alarming rates that demands attention from our policymakers to act. The FBI reported that in the first three months of 2021 there was a 20% increase in line-of-duty deaths compared to the same time last year.
Sen. Thom Tillis recently reintroduced the “Protect and Serve Act,” which would punish criminals who deliberately perpetrate violent attacks on federal, state, and local law enforcement. Offenders could receive up to 10 years for an assault, and a life sentence for those who murder or kidnap law enforcement officers at all levels.
In the anti-police climate that unfortunately exists in the U.S. today, there has never been a more pressing time to support this legislation to show that we as a nation stand in support of our officers who risk their lives for their communities as my husband and many other fallen officers did who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The overwhelming public safety crisis in our communities needs to be addressed swiftly and urgently. I encourage you, as a community member, to show your support for the “Protect and Serve Act” by contacting your congressional representatives. Your voice speaks volumes and your unwavering support for law enforcement is appreciated beyond measure.
Supporting this legislation sends a clear and strong message to these criminals that their despicable actions will not be tolerated and give them less of the chance to commit more violent offenses in our communities. Now more than ever we as a community must back the blue, protecting them just as they protect us, and never forget those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to serve you.
Haylee Shuping lives in Salisbury.
