Police killings open old wounds for fallen IMPD officer’s family
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The killing of two police officers in Mississippi, and other officer killed recently in New York City is opening up old wounds for an Indianapolis family.
It has been four and half years since IMPD officer David Moore was killed during a routine traffic stop in the city.
His father Spencer Moore said officers aren’t being given the respect they deserve, and is concerned whether young people will still want to do the job.
“Are we going to still be able to motivate these officers to go out and do a good job with the type of community reactions they’re seeing across the country?” asked Spencer Moore. “Officers are still getting up every morning, or in the evening, getting their uniform on and going to work and doing the best job they can probably do under the worst circumstances that’s ever befell law enforcement in the history of it.”
Moore is a retired IMPD officer, his wife is still on the force and his son David was killed in the line of duty in January 2011
“I think there’s a disrespect from the community to the police officer and a disappointment from the police officer to the community,” said Moore.
In the community, Rev. Charles Harrison said to fix the relationship between the police and the people they serve that the Ten Point Coalition started meeting regularly with the FOP.
“We started having real serious conversations about perceptions,” said Harrison. “Perceptions that black people have about police, and then the perceptions that police have about the black community. Particularly these police officers patrolling these high crime areas.”
He said the ultimate goal is to get the community’s point across before situations bubble over.
“We somewhat bring wisdom and the younger generation brings the energy, so how can we bridge those two together to accomplish the goal of bringing healing and reconciliation between the police department and the black community?” asked Rev Harrison.
Harrison said he plans on meeting again with the FOP in the next coming weeks.