Behind the Badge
On Tuesday, April 12 in Nashville, Tennessee Officer Matthew Cammarn witnessed a woman being assaulted. When he approached the suspect to do his job he was physically assaulted and ended up in a fight for his life.
The saddest part of this scenario is that Officer Cammarn’s assault was witnessed, recorded and cheered on by dozens of onlookers.
Officer Cammarn, much to his credit, never gave up the fight. Despite being punched, kicked and verbally abused he continued to try and fulfill his sworn duty.
Eventually the suspect flees and like a dog who won’t give up the hunt, Officer Cammarn continued his pursuit, chasing the suspect and eventually taking him into custody on a nearby street.
For any law-abiding citizen with any respect for the rule of law, the video should be disturbing. To his credit, Officer Cammarn showed a great deal of restraint.
I’m sure a good argument could be made for being in fear for his life and having to draw his weapon. Wouldn’t you?
Imagine if that were you in the midst of that maelstrom. Would you have retreated, pulled out a weapon or just run away?
The resolve of Officer Cammarn should make the City of Nashville proud to have officers of his caliber working for them.
According to the the Nashville Police Department, Officer Cammarn was recognized as Officer of the Year in 2015 for saving the life of a teenager who was robbed and shot. His quick response and first aid kept the young victim from bleeding out.
As for the community itself, there is obviously a lot of work that still needs to be done. This was the second assault on a police officer this week in the same neighborhood. In the previous assault, an officer was slashed on the hand as they attempted to make an arrest.
When the decent citizens of any community allow hoodlums and thugs to become the standard by which their community is identified, they have a lot of work to do.
Granted the police department will be there to help, but the standards of any community are dictated by the community themselves.
A 22-year-old adult and a 17-year-old have been arrested as a result of the assault. Only time will tell if any more suspects are going to be arrested.
This neighborhood has a lot to be embarrassed about. The one thing they should be proud of is officers like Matthew Cammarn.
Joe is a retired Anaheim Police Department captain. You can reach him at jvargas@behindthebadgeoc.com
