4.03.2009

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

  • Having Bridgeport roots that are important to me, it simply wouldn't seem right to post the typical random girl photo and be flippant less than 24 hours after the tragedy.
  • Sgt. Randy White was first Bridgeport PD officer ever killed in the line of duty.
  • I knew Stephen York while growing up. Involved in touch football games with him off of Pleasant View Road, was in his house, was friends with his family. Those were very innocent times which now seem like a long, long time ago.
  • Saw this on Facebook at 2:35 yesterday afternoon: "Cop chasing a white truck on Hale and then 287. Flew past me."
  • I suspect we are about to see quite the moving funeral procession. As it should be.
  • Talked to a fellow defense lawyer shortly after the news broke yesterday, and he was pretty upset. The local law enforcement/criminal justice system isn't like what you see on TV. There's a level of friendship, mutual respect and joking around between many cops, defense lawyers, and prosecutors.
  • I was in Bridgeport in April of 1980 when my mom told me about the death of James "Poncho" Bennett, who was killed in the line of duty for Decatur PD during a traffic stop. (The guy that was convicted in the killing had stolen a firearm out of a home in Bridgeport shortly before the killing.)
  • 29 years later, it was dad who first told me yesterday that something bad may have happened in Bridgeport.
  • The capital murder charge is a little interesting. It seems that the investigators are saying initially is that York intended to cause the death of the officer. There's also indications that York made a statement immediately after the accident that was important - but they won't tell me what it was.
  • There should be a dashcam from the officers who were in pursuit.
  • Fox 4, whose video loads very fast, has it's 9:00 o'clock story up now.
  • Sgt. Randy White had a five year old child.
  • Ironically, I saw a patch of bluebonnets this morning.