The fatal shooting of an unarmed Australian woman by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked public outrage and caused the city's police chief to resign last week.

The tragedy unfolded after police responded to a 911 call by the woman, who had reported an incident which she feared was a sexual assault.Many people fail to realize the dangers and complexities associated with police work, where a wrong judgment in a crisis situation can be fatal.Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, said that police officers make two types of errors: mistakes of the mind and mistakes of the heart. He said a police chief must recognize the difference and be ready to deal with both.As for mistakes of the mind, Stephens explains that no textbook can cover the multitudes of complex issues when law enforcement officers are forced to make split-second judgments in circumstances that are uncertain and quickly evolving.Stephens said that mistakes of the heart occur when an officer makes a decision knowing at the time that the action they're taking is wrong. One example would be of a police officer who conducts a search without meeting the legal threshold and discovers incriminating evidence; then takes steps to enhance the facts in order to get the necessary search warrant.One fact that we do know is that 70 officers have been killed in the line of duty so far this year. Although there has been a decrease in gunfire deaths from 2016, this year has seen an 8 percent rise in auto-related deaths of officers.Despite these negative statistics, we do recognize there are positive news stories about police officers who are giving back and earning the respect of their community.Last week we learned the story of Ethan Kranig, a 9-year-old Wisconsin boy who suffers from ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic mutation that affects less than 200,000 people in this country. Ethan has lost all of his vision in his right eye and over 55 percent in his left eye and since birth, he's had over 31 operations.Ethan has had two wishes - to become a police officer and to visit the ocean. While he was in New Jersey for medical treatments recently, the Wildwood Police Department helped him achieve one dream by swearing him in as an honorary police officer.The NRA Foundation has also stepped up with a positive story that benefits police nationwide.It initiated a Cars For Freedom program, where supporters can donate cars, boats, tractors and other vehicles. Donations are tax deductible and will be used to bolster the NRA Foundation's Law Enforcement program, which provides training, supplies and other benefits to our nation's law enforcement officers.The NRA Foundation will pick up donated vehicles for free at a time most convenient for the donor. In some cases it accepts the vehicle - cars, boats, motorcycles, trucks, RVs and even airplanes, whether running or not - but it must have an engine and be towable. Vehicles in poor condition may be declined because the cost to tow them may be more than the value of the vehicle.Those interested in the "Back Our Blue" program can visit NRACarsforFreedom.com or call 1-866-NRA-GIFT to talk with a representative.The NRA has long been an active supporter of the police. It has assisted retired law enforcement officers with the benefits of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, providing self-defense insurance for retired and off-duty officers. Its Line of Duty Death Benefit program also provides public law enforcement officers with a $35,000 line of duty death benefit, if they are killed in the line of duty.Regarding those police officers who put themselves on the front lines daily for our safety, we recently gained a new perspective on their decision-making process from Thomas Salerno, a veteran training officer for the Miami-Dade Police Department. He stated that very few people outside of law enforcement themselves have a true understanding of what it's like to make those decisions.He reminds the officers he trains that their reputations are always on the line. They therefore own every bullet and are responsible for it professionally, ethically, morally, civically, financially and perhaps even criminally.That's sound advice for the selfless officers sworn to protect and serve in confronting any situation and in all segments of society.By JIM ZBICK |

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