In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, the sheriff of Lee County, Florida criticized President Obama for limiting the access law enforcement has to armored vehicles.
Below is the commentary from Sheriff Mike Scott that was posted to the department's Facebook page on June 12, just hours after a gunman took the lives of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
In recent years, President Obama has issued "executive orders" limiting law enforcement access to armored vehicles and criticizing use of same.
As always, his willing partners in the media promote the notion that law enforcement officers should somehow respond to critical events in kinder, gentler fashion. We had examples of this flawed thinking not long ago when the FMPD acquired a military surplus vehicle before Obama put the brakes on that program.
We at the LCSO have had an armored Bearcat for years; indeed, the very same style vehicle used earlier this morning to stop the mass shooting in the Orlando nightclub. It's just this simple folks, bullets are bullets whether they are flying on the foreign soil of Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. or anywhere USA like say, Orlando?
This most recent tragedy in Orlando is yet another example of how real the threat can be, and my thoughts and prayers are with the injured and the families of those killed.
I am left to wonder how our President and anyone subscribing to his shallow rhetoric about demilitarizing police would respond to a hail of gunfire. It is truly a hypocrite that rides around in armored vehicles while suggesting that the modern day law enforcement officers do otherwise.
