Podcast: Police Chief Mark McBride speaks with KEIR host Mark Richardson about rooftop gunman

EIN Political columnist Mark Richardson sat down with Idaho Falls Police Chief Mark McBride to get the full stroy behind the rooftop gunman that shutdown portions of Idaho Falls Wednesday.

Listen to the entire interview below:

We have seen and read of similar high tension situations around the country where police are put into what appears to be a life or death position and are forced to make split second decisions.

Most everyone is familiar with the name of Officer Darren Wilson and his shooting an “an unarmed black teenager.” His response to the onrush of Michael Brown made national headlines and police in Ferguson, Missouri were vilified. Wilson’s dramatic encounter followed another deadly confrontation with police in New York that grabbed national attention.

Eric Garner, a 350 lb. man, was wrestled to the ground and held in a choke hold for resisting arrest. Garner died from the instance, the medical examiner determined the death to be a homicide, and police were maligned.

In Cleveland it was a 12 year old boy shot by police brandishing an air gun. In Utah, Dillon Taylor was shot twice in a confrontation with police.

I am in no way seeking to demean the police with these examples. Their jobs are hard enough. They receive immense training in case they are ever put in these circumstance and I would not want to have to make that split second decision.

But these are the stories that grab headlines and receive national attention. For the police in Idaho Falls, the story will never be heard. They did their job, now go back to work.

So why did this story conclude peacefully?

Through a series of calls police found the man who had closed the store for the evening had allowed his 16 year old son to go up to the roof to eradicate a few pigeons.

The boy, armed with a pellet gun, heard the commotion around the building, peeked over the side and saw police. He responded as most any 16 year old boy being surrounded by police – by hiding. Before police were able to surround the building, the 16 year old suspect was able to slip out through the hatch of the building and sneak home unnoticed.

When police called his father, the young man was already home. Rather than issuing charges, the police took the opportunity to educate the young man and create a learning moment.

Imagine the terrible results should the police have responded differently. A 16-year-old atop a building with a rifle and scope, not responding to petitions by officers, may have been determined an imminent danger and terminated. And today, a family would be in mourning over something as simple as ridding the building of a few pigeons.

But in this case, law enforcement stepped up and diffused what could have been a treacherous situation, leaving no lives inured or taken. Congratulations to the department!