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As police patrol Aurora, Colo., this week, they do so wondering who among the people they see is the caller who used the 911 emergency line Sunday to issue threats against police.
“It’s time that you guys know we are no longer playing around with the police departments. Aurora and Denver, we are about to start striking fear shooting down all cops that we see by their selves,” said the caller. “This will go for the sheriff’s department. You guys are evicting innocent people. Let us catch you by yourself and it’s shots fired.”
A warning sent to Denver-area law enforcement agencies on Monday said the caller was using a disconnected Cricket cell phone. The male caller appeared to be attempting to disguise his voice, or may have used a recording, the warning said.
Four hours after the chilling call, Aurora officers were called to a scene, then shot at. It remained unclear Tuesday whether the incidents were related.
“Because of that, we are vigilant in what we do,” Aurora Police Association President Bob Wesner said. “Officers will be riding two people to a car so that we can keep officers safe on the street.”
“I’m not surprised by the call. People make threats to police all the time, but very rarely do we get anything involving folks wanting to shoot at the police,” Wesner said.
The call may increase vigilance, but it will not deter police officers from performing their thankless job, said Denver police Det. Nick Rogers. “We accept it because that’s one of the things that when we signed up we know that these things are going to happen,” he said.
“We’re not going to go away. I’m not going to quit,” Rogers said. “As a matter of fact, all you’re doing is making me stronger because I know what I have to do is that much more important. If you’re willing to kill me who else are you going to kill?”
The Colorado threats come as police feel under siege after a string of deadly attacks.
“It’s almost a radical rhetoric causing officers to say, ‘Wait a second, I’m out here to serve the public. I saved a little old lady from a purse snatching. I gave CPR on the highway and saved somebody. Now, I’m a villain?’” said Chuck Canterbury, president of the national Fraternal Order of Police, a union representing more than 300,000 officers.
h/t: KDVR-TV
This post originally appeared on Western Journalism – Equipping You With The Truth