Successful Suicide By Cop is Not the Cop's Fault

Two days ago a New York City man called 911 and told the dispatcher "I want you to call the cops ‘cause I’m ready to kill. … I’m ready to kill some cops right now." Not surprisingly, the cops came. Thankfully they all went home.

However, the knife-wielding man who made the threat was killed after verbal commands and the use of a Taser failed to stop his threatening advances. All indications point to proper procedure being followed. Nonetheless, within hours, a media-seeking city councilman immediately started criticizing the responding officers and blaming them for the man's death. The councilman stated further: "No one...would kill a cop when all they had was a 4-inch knife."

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Officer Gary Coe

The first of 400 police officers to have been fatally stabbed in the line of duty nationwide was Watchman Christian Luswanger of the New York City Watch - the original NYPD! In addition to Watchman Luswanger, 23 other NYPD officers have been fatally stabbed in the line of duty including Officer Gary Coe, who was stabbed five times, with none other than a "four-inch utility knife," in 1989.

Since the earliest days of American law enforcement, edged weapons have posed a real and deadly threat to officers patrolling our streets and supervising inmates in our prisons. To dismiss a "4-inch knife" as a non-threat and to criticize officers for defending themselves from getting stabbed is extremely naive.

I am extremely thankful that Sunday's incident didn't add any more names of stabbing victims to the NYPD Memorial Wall at Battery Park.

Watchman Christian Luswanger	Thursday, December 25, 1806
New York City Watch, NY
Watchman Lewis L. Leuba	Wednesday, April 13, 1836
New York City Watch, NY
Watchman Kim Hudson	Sunday, August 28, 1836
New York City Watch, NY
Sergeant Michael Foster	Monday, August 4, 1851
New York Municipal Police Force, NY
Patrolman David Gourley	Sunday, November 5, 1854
New York Municipal Police Force, NY
Patrolman Stephen P. Hardenbrook	Wednesday, April 15, 1857
New York Municipal Police Force, NY	3 years
Patrolman David Martin	Tuesday, August 6, 1861
New York Metropolitan Police Force, NY
Patrolman Robert S. McChesney	Saturday, October 19, 1867
New York Metropolitan Police Force, NY	2 months
Patrolman Charles Thompson	Sunday, December 1, 1867
New York Metropolitan Police Force, NY
Sergeant James McGiven	Monday, July 24, 1876
New York Municipal Police Department, NY
Patrolman James North	Friday, August 21, 1885
New York Municipal Police Department, NY
Patrolman John J. Sherman	Tuesday, September 1, 1891
New York Police Department, NY	5 years
Patrolman Robert J. Thorpe	Monday, August 13, 1900
New York City Police Department, NY
Patrolman Charles L. Horn	Monday, October 8, 1900
New York City Police Department, NY	5 years
Sergeant Joseph H. McNierney	Friday, October 3, 1913
New York City Police Department, NY	18 years
Patrolman Leroy J. Sheares	Monday, April 20, 1936
New York City Police Department, NY	3 years
Sergeant Edward J. Johnson Jr.	Friday, January 8, 1960
New York City Police Department, NY	11 years
Patrolman Anthony F. Campisi	Friday, November 4, 1966
New York City Police Department, NY
Patrolman Lawrence Stefane	Thursday, May 28, 1970
New York City Police Department, NY	3 years
Probationary Patrolman Patrick M. Canavan	Monday, September 7, 1970
New York City Police Department, NY	2 months
Patrolman Michael W. Paolillo	Wednesday, September 23, 1970
New York City Police Department, NY
Patrolman Robert L. Denton	Saturday, July 24, 1971
New York City Police Department, NY	2 years
Police Officer Gary C. Coe	Saturday, November 11, 1989
New York City Police Department, NY	4 years
Detective Jaime Betancourt	Sunday, March 31, 2002
New York City Police Department, NY	9 years