July 2010

Two days ago I attended the joint funeral of David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab, Tampa Police officer’s gunned down in the line of duty on 06/29/10. This is not the first joint double Tampa police officers’s funeral I have been two, but I hope it is my last. In 05/1998 I attended the funeral of Randy Bell and Ricky Childers who were also gunned down in the line of duty. I have never forgotten that funeral and I will never forget the Kocab/Curtis funeral. I knew and worked with Randy Bell, but did not know Ricky Childers other than his reputation, which was stellar. I also did not know Jeff or David, but after yesterday’s funeral I felt as I could have been one of them and “there before the grace of God go I.”

Both Jeff and David were exceptional police officers who died valiantly at the hands of a monster. The monster who would later give himself up was wanted for at least one other homicide, but may also have been connected to as many as three other homicides. One has to wonder what goes through an individual’s mind to decide that taking the life of not 1 but 2 police officers to evade arrest only to turn oneself in a few days later. Apparently not much! Not remorse, not compassion, not hope, surely just plain lack of conscience. The rest of us rational thinking people wonder to ourselves that if only he gave up and went to jail. He would have been charged with fewer crimes and there would be two families who would not be forever crushed by the loss of two good men. But that is not how it played out and now the aftermath for the families, TPD, and the community.

As I sat through the funeral with my family a flood of thoughts raced through my mind. As I looked across the sanctuary at Idlewild Church I saw thousands of law enforcement officers supporting the families, TPD, and law enforcement in general. There is no other profession that seems to bind individuals together more than law enforcement. Probably because the culture and brotherhood that is developed by individuals who choose this type of career. People asked me why did you go to the funeral, did you know them? No, I did not know Dave and Jeff, but really I did know Dave and Jeff. I know that Dave and Jeff like all other law enforcement officers are not just tough guys/gals with a badge. They are two guys that choose to make a difference in this world by the profession they choose, law enforcement. They got up went to work even though they knew the dangers of the job like the rest of us. They did not dwell on the danger or they would have been unable to cope with the tasks at hand. They did their job as they were trained. Don’t think for a second that lack of training or error on their part led to their deaths. Sometimes evil wins a battle. But in the end justice prevails, although bruised. There is no police training that can cover all dangerous situations police encounter. Things happen fast on the street and decisions are made by both bad guys and good guys that forever change lives. Jeff and David were two brave guys who loved what they did and were very good at doing it. They did their job on 06/29/10 and did it well. They ultimately should get credit for the arrest of the monster who killed them because it was their original attempted arrest that set a chain of events in motion that would take an unidentified serial killer off the streets of Tampa.

The families that have become fatherless, husbandless, childless as a result of this horrible tragedy will be healing for a long time to come. They will need the support to fill the void left by the loss of their love one’s. All of us can help these families and it is our job as a community to help them. Please, if you feel compelled donate to the Kocab/Curtis fund at Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union just follow this link: http://tampabayfcu.org/

{ 4 comments }