R.I.P. Office Moore

My plan this semester was to write about campus and student issues, but this tragedy is near to my heart and deserves recognition.

Last week, 29-year-old Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer David Moore was fatally shot in the line of duty during a traffic stop.

After being shot four times, Officer Moore was placed in critical condition, and an MRI revealed that he was brain dead.

His family made the decision to let him go. In his death, he will save the lives of nine other people who will receive his donated organs, including his heart.

The Moore family has a long history of service to the city of Indianapolis.

Moore’s father, retired Lt. Spencer Moore, served in the IMPD, and his mother, Sgt. Jo Moore, is in her 26th year on the police force.

Indianapolis is honoring its fallen hero. Police Chief Paul Ciesielski conducted the press announcement, and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a longtime IMPD supporter, was with him during the announcement and later spoke at a prayer vigil. Flags are at half-staff across the city.

IMPD is mourning in its own way. Police officers have black bands over their badges, and their cars have small black flags on the antennas. Officers will stand vigil over Moore’s body until the funeral.

Moore was on the police force for six years and in 2005 was named rookie of the year.

His car is currently on display at north district headquarters, and his photo has been added to the City Council memorial with the photos of the 58 officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

Officer Moore’s funeral will be Tuesday at Conseco Fieldhouse. Following the funeral, a procession will travel past North District Roll Call, where Moore worked, on the way to Crown Hill Cemetery. Fraternal Order of Police President Bill Owensby said there will be a 21-gun salute at the cemetery.

Officers from around the country are expected to attend the funeral. Some are contributing by taking shifts around the city, freeing up IMPD officers to attend the funeral. Going out of state to attend the funeral services of other officers is a long-held tradition.

When four police officers were fatally shot in a coffee house in Washington state, almost a thousand Canadian police officers crossed the border to honor their fallen comrade, a brotherhood of police service that extends beyond country lines.

In the wake of this tragedy, we should all take a minute to stop and think for a moment about the tremendous lengths police officers go to protect the lives of citizens every day. They put their lives on the line so others don’t get hurt and sometimes end up paying the ultimate price.

Police officers are a good force in this country.

For every bad cop like David Bisard (an IMPD officer accused of driving under the influence and killing a man), there are thousands of good men and women who are only trying to make the world a safer place.

We should all respect and honor the sacrifices of officers both living and passed and appreciate what they do for us daily.

The last Indianapolis police officer killed in the line of duty was Timothy “Jake” Laird in 2004, the first IPD officer killed in 16 years.

Indianapolis is lucky to have such tragedies occur few and far between, but even those few are too many. In this month alone, 10 other police officers around the country have been fatally shot.

The upswing in violence toward police is incredibly disturbing, and I hope it subsides quickly.

The police, as well as firefighters, soldiers and all who put their lives on the line in defense of this country’s citizens deserve honor and respect, not a premature death.

What’s reassuring in this horrible situation is the amount of support IMPD and the Moores are being given by the citizens of Indianapolis. It gives me hope that things can change and that the population supports and honors those who fight and die to protect them.

My thoughts go out to Officer Moore and his parents in the wake of this tragedy and to all who served with and knew him.


E-mail: sahann@indiana.edu