RNC officer not discouraged by anti-police rhetoric

Outside the secure zone of Quicken Loans Arena, a group with a megaphone and a huge poster that read  “Stop murder by police” was garnering attention. While the media gathered around the protesters, KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson went a different direction — he spoke with one of the Cleveland officers standing guard about 30 feet away, protecting the protesters.

Dori asked what it’s like to be standing so close to a sign that, in essence, calls police murderers.

“It just feels like a few that are a little uneducated that want to ignore statistics and ignore the actual scenarios,” the officer said. “And they have their own agenda and it’s understandable. But people will be people and we’ve just got to be patient and do our job and just keep them safe. It’s a free country. They have an opinion and we’re still going to keep them safe, though.”

Related: After deadly shooting, President Obama urges people to temper their words

Dori noted that the some have argued that anti-cop rhetoric from protesters has contributed to the recent problems in the country – most notably the black men killed by officers, followed by what appeared to be retaliatory killings of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge. The Cleveland officer said the media’s coverage makes it appear that the protesters are a larger group than they really are, which influences the rest of the country.

“Since it’s covered so much, people do start getting influenced and start believing in this false narrative,” he said.

The officer acknowledged that it is a strange time to be an officer and that it has been important to stay alert at the Republican National Convention.

“Luckily we have the support of the whole country,” he said. “You can see the Indiana state police right behind us, you’ve got California, Texas. Everybody is here backing us up and we appreciate that.”

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