Kansas City Star Discounts Officer's Heroism After Olathe East Shooting

From the comfort of a home offices or a sad P.O. box on the Country Club Plaza, today the Kansas City Star took aim at an officer who many people are calling a hero.

To wit . . .

THE KANSAS CITY STAR REVEALS A STUNNING HATRED FOR POLICE WITH AN EDITORIAL SCREED THAT QUESTIONS THE HEROICS OF AN OLATHE EAST OFFICER!!!

Apparently, they're waiting for student mobile phone video and some rhetorical acrobatics that will blame everybody besides the adult shooter who has been charged with attempted capital murder.

Here's the crux of their argument . . . 

"But we still don’t know all that happened in the moments before Olathe Officer Erik Clark shot Jaylon Elmore, who’d allegedly produced a gun in the school office where Assistant Principal Kaleb Stoppel was also shot.

"We’re waiting for the completion of the official investigation into the incident and exchange of gunfire. Did the officer prevent another mass school shooting, or was this something else?"

In fairness, here's a more serious response in the aftermath of the crisis from a suburban law enforcement police leader . . . 

“It was a textbook response with the absolute maximum desired result, short of the fact that three people were shot” said former Overland Park Police Chief Jon Douglass.

But no matter how you prepare the challenges of an active shooter are difficult to handle.

“If you have an active shooter, multiple jurisdictions often respond and that gives a substantial immediate impact, and enough people to do the job,” Douglass said.

The suspected shooter detained, the threat, neutralized and the district's multifaced plan did what it was supposed to do, that according to Douglass.

“We have massive responses and going straight to the source and no fooling around whoever gets there first goes right to find them because an active shooter in a school is a killing machine,” he said.

“The public needs to stop and take pause for a minute, and recognize the heroism of the admitted school administrators and teachers and the police officers who respond to these things,” Douglass said.

Accordingly . . . 

If or when the Star chooses to give credit where it's due, it'll be far too late. Today's screed was an insult to so many people across partisan lines who believe that school shootings are of the utmost concern given that EVERYONE wants to keep students safe.

Honestly, this missive from the fading daily newspaper isn't even a good troll. 

Defending a school shooter and raising suspicions about the bravery of an officer is pretty much the bottom of the barrel and the lowest that any pundit could go. 

If this rant came from anyone else, the offending social media account would likely be in suspended. 

Still, we want to keep a serious subject as light as possible because we're really just discussing the decline of metro journalism. 

Something to consider for a laugh . . .

THE KANSAS CITY STAR BELONGS IN FACEBOOK JAIL!!!

Meanwhile . . . 

Adults are talking about new gun tech, better protections for youngsters and, yes, community praise for an officer who saved lives - A fact that contradicts so much culture war anti-police hatred.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Is Olathe school officer who shot student a hero? Maybe, but it's too soon to know

OPINION AND COMMENTARY The school resource officer who shot an Olathe East High School student with a gun last Friday has been heralded as a hero, and that might be exactly right. But we still don't know all that happened in the moments before Olathe Officer Erik Clark shot Jaylon Elmore, who'd allegedly produced a gun in the school office where Assistant Principal Kaleb Stoppel was also shot.

Further reading . .

Experts say security measures worked in Olathe East shooting

OLATHE, Kan. - Days after the shooting at Olathe east High School there is the burning question: How could this have been prevented? One option being talked about, medal detectors, this after Olathe schools reconfigured entrances to tighten security.

District attorney says Olathe East High School shooting suspect reportedly used 'ghost gun'

The Johnson County, Kansas, district attorney says that the gun used by the suspect in Friday's Olathe East High School shooting was a ghost gun. County DA Steve Howe said incidents involving the nearly untraceable weapons are becoming more common in Johnson County. "This is the second (shooting) in a week where it's a ghost gun.

What is a 'ghost gun?' What experts say about weapon used in Olathe East shooting

OLATHE, Kan. - What is a ghost gun? The ATF said they're guns that lack serial numbers to identify them, and they are typically assembled by the user. Law enforcement and AFT agents are concerned as companies send people - sometimes with little experience or ill intent - kits to put together these ghost guns.

Former Kansas Attorney General Morrison to represent suspect in Olathe East school shooting

The suspect in the Olathe East school shooting remains in critical condition and was not able to attend his first hearing Monday on a charge of attempted capital murder. Paul Morrison, now in private practice in Olathe, has been appointed to represent him.

Parents talk increased security measures in Olathe schools following shooting

OLATHE, Kan. - After a shooting rocked the Olathe community last week , conversations are now turning toward what they can do next to prevent this from happening again. KSHB 41 News talked to one dad who says he's always felt his kids were safe, but there is always room for improvement.

You decide . . .