I have been gone from the Astoria Police Department for several years now. However, I still feel them as part of my family. After all, I spent almost half of my life working there. The people I worked with were with very few exceptions, even when we didn’t agree, the best.
This week a tragedy happened there. A 26 year old police officer finished his shift, went home, and didn’t wake up. He shared a lot with my son, just a little younger, also a second generation police officer serving in a community near where his father did, where he grew up. I cannot imagine the pain his father is feeling. Losing a child has to be a special level of pain.
Officer Sam Whisler lived a life of service, first serving in Search and Rescue, then as a cadet, a reserve police officer, and ultimately as an Astoria Police Department police officer. I did not have the pleasure of meeting Sam. He wasn’t old enough for to be hired when I was Chief. He is survived by a wife, two children and his parents.
The entire department faced it’s mortality this week. That is hard. Many of these men and women have faced their mortality before, but not from natural causes. They have faced the fact that someone may choose to try and take their life from them and still chose to pick up their badge and pin it on, day in day out. To realize that their body may just fail, is a different type of mortality threat.
That, I suppose, brings us to the point. Nothing is guaranteed, not to anyone. We have to live as if there is no tomorrow because in truth, there may not be one. Live today.
To the men and women serving at Astoria PD today, remember him, celebrate him, and take care of his family. Today seems dark but tomorrow will be brighter. Keep your eyes facing forward and force a positive attitude, even when you don’t feel positive.
The Embed Educator 