Uechi-Ryu.com

Richmond has more than its share of homicides, and after a while you do not pay attention to the news. Today, however, as I was reading the paper I heard a familiar name mentioned on the evening news. Officer Tom McMahon had been shot and killed while trying to stop a suspect. Officer McMahon was shot while stopped in his cruiser after stopping the suspects car. The suspect was apparently suicidal as he aimed his handgun at the other officers arriving at the scene and was fatally wounded in the ensuing exchange.

Why does this one hurt so bad? Well, McMahan was known as the 'Christmas House Policeman' who decorated his home every year for all to come and see. My family usually visited him twice each season and he was always standing outside to chat. In fact, last Christmas I took Bill Glasheen's son Chad over to meet him and enjoy the spectacle. What a loss to the community.

Officer McMahon was a 21 year veteran, and knew what he was doing. He worked the 'Church Hill' precinct, one of Richmond's toughest, by choice. Van sensei - what can anyone do when someone chooses to end his life by ending another's?

Rich

Rich,
I feel your pain . The senseless killing of my little twelve year old cousin in Italy by home invaders and the fact the killers are still at large to this day and still terrorizing the family into silence by anonymous phone calls no matter how many times the unpublished number is changed ""remember ..you still have another daughter ""opens you up to the realities of our vulnerabilities and frailties of our lives which can be snuffed out almost at will by a determined killer !

Really there is nothing you can do . If some deranged individual decides to make you the ticket of his way out it will be impossible for you or anyone to see it coming !

We are mere mortals after all !

Enjoy life ,

Best ,

Van

Somewhere in there is the "edge". One can be so obsessed with preparing for all contingencies that one is consumed by this preparation to the exclusion of living and enjoying life. I think one should prepare but also recognize that we are "mere mortal". We have to accept at some point that, despite all we do, "There, by the grace of God..." prevails.

david

Rich,

Somewhat related to your story but more off-beat:

Just this week, a 76 year old man living in one of the many retirement communities down here was extremely ill and also going through a divorce. Apparently unable to cope with either of these problems, he began to physically and verbally assault his wife.

When the cops arrived, he turned on himself with a knife, repeatedly stabbing and slashing himself. The cops were unable to get him to stop his self-mutilation. The situation ended abruptly when he charged the cops and was brought down with a single shot to the chest.

His intent was quite obvious - he wanted to end it all and he chose himself as his own victim.

A sad commentary indeed.