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The Hero Must Die
“The hero must die.” This quote went
through my mind over and over again as I watched the teary eyes of the mother
and wife. It was a quote that my childhood teacher shared with me when he first
introduced me to Shakespeare. As a writer, Shakespeare had a unique way of
showing the sad irony of life. His tragedies were stories of such exceptional
calamity. In them, it was not enough for a life to be taken, but the death would
occur in a manner that would cause all to stop and take notice.
The
moment is not easily defined. You realize the depth of the tragedy only after
the event has past and you are living through a period of reflection. After
twenty years of witnessing the human cruelties that accompanies a career in
law-enforcement, I finally understood the agonizing despair that is associated
with a “Shakespearean”-type tragedy.
No
matter how many disturbing events you experience as a law-enforcement officer,
it is the “Shakespearean”-style tragedy that stays with you throughout your
life. The event moves along in a manner similar to the acts and scenes in a
Broadway theatrical performance. It is in fact a real life drama that unfolds on
the stage of your career. On Sunday, February 21st at 11:00 PM, after 20 years
of policing I experienced mine.
The
drama had already begun by the time I walked into the precinct’s chaotic
atmosphere to begin the midnight shift. There were small indicators that told me
that the evening would be an active one because there was an ambulance in front
of the precinct. A clear sign that someone inside was in need of medical
attention. This night, the ambulance had the dual role of attending to a young
man with a severe head injury and use CPR to assist another person who was
suffering from an apparent heart attack.
The
lives of both of these individuals who were being treated will be forever tied
together. And the families will benchmark their lives by the events that began
unfolding a short time earlier that evening.
According to the mother, their day started out like any other Sunday. The pastor
and his wife took their children to church. Good kids that never spent one day
away from home. The loving mother/grandmother also had the awesome
responsibilities of being the first lady of the church. Her love and nurturing
was evident in the concern nature that she showed for all who spoke on her
behalf.
The
last time she saw her son and grandson they were leaving the church wearing the
uniforms that they wore during the special youth program at the church. Little
did she know that they were physically in church but their spirits were
somewhere else. Immediately after service, the two young men reportedly
approached a young man and took his property. In the act of doing so, one of
them used a large pipe and struck the young man across the head and caused a
serious head injury.
This
act in itself is not enough to give it the “Shakespearean” title. That comes
with the next act, the arrival of the loving pastor. He had the additional role
of being the grandfather and father, respectively for the boys. He was so strong
in his commitment and devotion to his offspring that he could not believe the
identity process was true. In his mind there had to have been some sort of
mistake. As his son and grandson stood before him in handcuffs, he became ill
and grabbed his chest. The stress of the moment caused him to go into a cardiac
arrest. Everyone in the room immediately attempted to assist him with no
success. He died from an apparent heart attack as his offspring attempted to
confess to the crimes that they committed.
In
an attempt to find meaning behind the erosion of family values, many point the
finger to the absence of a father figure. This was not true of the pastor. His
desire and commitment to his offspring was of heroic proportions. He was a clear
example of a modern day hero. 3:30 A.M. Monday morning and I still could not get
it out of my head that quote from my teacher, “In Shakespeare tragedies, the
hero always dies.”
Eric Adams
Co-Founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care
4/2/05
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