Our police officers have a very dangerous job. We can only imagine what must go through their minds every time they encounter a dangerous person during a traffic stop or other type of call. The increased risk over the last few years has produced a situation where I see two sheriff’s vehicles at many seemingly routine traffic stops.

Because of the proliferation of cell phones with cameras, everything the officer does is increasingly subject to scrutiny by the media and others. That is why we continue to see many of the confrontations between law enforcement and citizens shown on the nightly news.

If you watched the news in the last several days, you have witnessed the actual shooting, or the aftermath of an officer involved shooting. These confrontations are presented without providing a complete picture of the incident.

With the exception of the Travon Martin incident, however, these events have four things in common. A police officer was involved, the subject was black, he was killed, and he did something incredibly stupid.

Without exception, all of these people would have been alive today if they had done what the police officer told them to do. Why is that so hard? Telling an officer that you have a weapon, and then reaching into your pocket for something? Please!

This guy had a Concealed Weapons Permit, which implies he went to class and learned what to do in this situation. Had he put his hands where the officer could see them, he would be alive today. Mike Brown was a thug who robbed a store owner and assaulted an officer. What happened to him was predictable.

Black, brown or white, the solution is very simple. Just follow the instructions of the officer and, odds are, you’ll be on your way in minutes.