2 Police Officers Killed In The Line of Duty In Tampa During Warrant Arrest

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

Hey You F-ing people who constantly lecture us on how Police are too paranoid, too overbearing, too forceful.....especially over simple misdemeanors....

Read this article and shove it up your asses.

5 kids without fathers. 2 wives without husbands.

And why? Because some POS convict whose life means nothing and is worth nothing, didn't want to go to jail on a misdemeanor charge.

I sit back and laugh at your constant onslaught of B.S. that flows out of your mouths as you play Monday Morning QB on each and everything any cop anywhere in the country does. You know nothing about what you speak of. You know nothing about what we deal with. You know nothing about why cops can be perceived as A-holes at times.

This is why, right here. Nothing is routine in my line of work. Nothing is to be taken for granted. Sure there's a line, and officers cross it...and when they do, they should be punished. But I will not sit there and take your blanket statements time after time again, which paints our entire profession as incompetent, jack-booted thugs.

I hope you sleep well at night, knowing that despite the fact you're all out to lunch, the PD will be right around the corner when you need them, even though you'll be nowhere to be found when they need you.

4 cops shot in 2 weeks in one state.......and we're the ones you direct your anger and malicious comments towards? F off.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Police were searching Tuesday for the man charged with fatally shooting two Tampa police officers during an early morning traffic stop of a car that didn't have a visible license plate.

Officer David Curtis pulled over the red Toyota Camry around 2:15 a.m. and called for backup after a background check revealed the male passenger in the car was wanted on a misdemeanor charge for writing a worthless check in Jacksonville.

The two officers approached the passenger side of the vehicle and six minutes later a witness called 911 to report they had been shot.

Curtis and Officer Jeffrey Kocab, both 31, were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Another individual, Dontae Rashawn Morris, 24, was still being sought by police, but was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and a single count of felony possession of a firearm.

Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said "we know who he is and we're going to find him."

Morris was released from prison in April after serving two years for cocaine possession and sales. He also served about nine months on other cocaine possession charges in 2004, according to prison records.

The St. Petersburg Times reported that in 2006, Morris was found not guilty of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted robbery and possession of a short-barreled shotgun.

Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and Mayor Pam Iorio announced Kocab's death at a news conference at the hospital where the officers were taken. Dozens of somber officers filled the hospital.

Kocab had been on the force for 14 months. His wife is nine months pregnant with their first child, police said.

Curtis, a father of four boys, had nearly four years with the department. He remained on life support as doctors prepared to harvest his organs at the family's request.

"They both said how much Dave and Jeff loved being a Tampa police officer. They both said their loved ones loved going to work everyday...that it was the best job in the world," Mayor Pam Iorio said of the officers' families.

"It's just been heart wrenching as the family members have said goodbye to their loved ones and then it's been heart wrenching to see the officers and how much they respect them," she said.

This is the region's second incident of law enforcers being shot in less than a week. Two Polk County deputies were shot early Friday in Lakeland after stopping a man riding a bicycle. They are expected to recover.

The woman who police believe was driving the car, 22-year-old Cortnee Nicole Brantly, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon for questioning, but she was not arrested.

[Vudu]

People die unnecessarily every day whether they be cops or civilians.

With that said, RIP to these two victims of senseless violence.

[THE ILK]

What a shame, RIP.

[RutgersJetFan]

Really interested to hear more of the details when the full facts come out. Florida's tinting laws aren't the same as they are up north and I can't for the life of me understand why. They're in desperate need of being rewritten.

[Jetsfan80]

G.O.B., I have nothing but respect for police officers. Don't hurt me.

[Norway'sWaddlingMarmaloof]

People die unnecessarily every day whether they be cops or civilians.

With that said, RIP to these two victims of senseless violence.

Yeah but most of us have almost no chance of dying while on the job, and we don't have to deal with savages.

[Dude Love]

I hope you sleep well at night, knowing that despite the fact you're all out to lunch, the PD will be right around the corner when you need them, even though you'll be nowhere to be found when they need you.

Praise.

[Dude Love]

Yeah but most of us have almost no chance of dying while on the job, and we don't have to deal with savages.

Bingo.

People run out of burning buildings, firemen run into them.

People avoid scumbags, cops have to seek them out and confront them.

People duck and run when the bullets star flying, soldiers dig in and face the enemy, putting themselves between you and those enemy bullets.

Sometimes our defenders don't always do the right thing, but when that green flag goes down boy, I'll tell you what the bull**** stops.

[jgb]

i would never want to be a cop. when you do what you think you have to in order to protect yourself and your community, you're often labeled a brute after the fact when it's shown the guy didn't have a weapon. when you don't, you get a parade complete with a sobbing widow and kids.

it's easy to forget that cops don't know the situation they are walking into - the only rational mode of action is to assume the worst.

[AGAW]

You say they were shot over a simple misdemeanor.

We both know that wasn't the case.

He had something on him, whether that warranted a third strike or was enough stuff to get him sentenced for the rest of his life, he decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

I'm in no way defending the thug. He deserves the beatings he'll receive once taken into custody.

[Dude Love]

You say they were shot over a simple misdemeanor.

We both know that wasn't the case.

He had something on him, whether that warranted a third strike or was enough stuff to get him sentenced for the rest of his life, he decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

I'm in no way defending the thug. He deserves the beatings he'll receive once taken into custody.

Throw the judge in there with him.

[PatriotReign37]

I hope you sleep well at night, knowing that despite the fact you're all out to lunch, the PD will be right around the corner when you need them, even though you'll be nowhere to be found when they need you.

Not me.

If I see a Cop by himself, outnumbered and in trouble, Im jumping in to help the cop.

[jgb]

Hey You F-ing people who constantly lecture us on how Police are too paranoid, too overbearing, too forceful.....especially over simple misdemeanors....

Read this article and shove it up your asses.

5 kids without fathers. 2 wives without husbands.

And why? Because some POS convict whose life means nothing and is worth nothing, didn't want to go to jail on a misdemeanor charge.

I sit back and laugh at your constant onslaught of B.S. that flows out of your mouths as you play Monday Morning QB on each and everything any cop anywhere in the country does. You know nothing about what you speak of. You know nothing about what we deal with. You know nothing about why cops can be perceived as A-holes at times.

This is why, right here. Nothing is routine in my line of work. Nothing is to be taken for granted. Sure there's a line, and officers cross it...and when they do, they should be punished. But I will not sit there and take your blanket statements time after time again, which paints our entire profession as incompetent, jack-booted thugs.

I hope you sleep well at night, knowing that despite the fact you're all out to lunch, the PD will be right around the corner when you need them, even though you'll be nowhere to be found when they need you.

4 cops shot in 2 weeks in one state.......and we're the ones you direct your anger and malicious comments towards? F off.

excellent post. although +5 red font would've been a nice touch.

Not me.

If I see a Cop by himself, outnumbered and in trouble, Im jumping in to help the cop.

yep. i'm not reaching for my cell phone to take a youtube video i'm reaching for my 40 cal

[visajets]

Sad RIP. My son just graduated high school and is going to persue a career in Law Enforcement. When I read stories like these I consider trying to change his mind and lead him in another direction.

[The Crusher]

Awful. Bless both those fella's and their families. Terrible.

[jgb]

Sad RIP. My son just graduated high school and is going to persue a career in Law Enforcement. When I read stories like these I consider trying to change his mind and lead him in another direction.

tell him it's better to face critiscm from MMQBs than getting a one way trip to see St. Peter before his time...

[serphnx]

I want to see the posts saying all cops are bad or are criminals or what not. Dig em up and show them in this thread for everyone to see. I guarantee you that you won't see it again from whoever said it.

[Norway'sWaddlingMarmaloof]

I want to see the posts saying all cops are bad or are criminals or what not. Dig em up and show them in this thread for everyone to see. I guarantee you that you won't see it again from whoever said it.

Maybe in some cases it's an age thing. It sounds like some anti-cop posters have bad some crappy treatment from cops, maybe b/c of the color of their skin.

I just turned 40 and the older I get, the more I'm grateful to see cops around. Other than enjoying green goodness and on occassion driving when I shouldn't (not cool, I know, but I'm just trying to be honest), I don't do anything that I'd get arrested for. I'm white, but I could pass for Latino.

Do the cop-haters really wish there were no cops around? Am I the only one totally creeped out whenever I read about more cops being laid off? Between our good old American gangs, and the lovely criminals we're importing from 3rd world countries, how long until sizable parts of cities fall into "Escape from New York" status? 10 years?

Maybe?

[LionelRichie]

People's feelings about cops is mostly related to where in the US they live. I grew up in the suburbs. In the burbs people think cops are out to get them b/c there really is no crime. They think cops = tickets and that is about it.

Now I live in the inner city in DC and we think that cops are the only thing keeping us safe on a day-to-day basis. We wish there more cops and we wish the justice system in DC was more focused on keeping citizens safe than worrying about "social justice".

[jgb]

People's feelings about cops is mostly related to where in the US they live. I grew up in the suburbs. In the burbs people think cops are out to get them b/c there really is no crime. They think cops = tickets and that is about it.

Now I live in the inner city in DC and we think that cops are the only thing keeping us safe on a day-to-day basis. We wish there more cops and we wish the justice system in DC was more focused on keeping citizens safe than worrying about "social justice".

or... maybe the suburbs have no crime because good kids raised by stable families actually respect the police while inner cities kids are more likely to not give a **** about cops or other authority figures.

i'm talking generalities here so let's not see feathers get ruffled with "well i was raised in the city how DARE you say i have no respect for the police" or "well... i knew a kid in the suburbs who was a bad apple so your theory is wrong/offensive!"

[sirlancemehlot]

Yeah I've given up on the bashers. I've pulled children off th highway and given CPR to people without faces. I've had a knife pulled on me four times, once by a Latin King in a stolen car with three others--and no partner or backup close. I've seen women battered and one burnt on a stove by her husband. Babies walking the streets while their cracked out moms were in an alley "earning". Old people with alzheimers. Young people with horrific addictions, middle-aged people swing from the end of a rope. Car accidents, suicide, child predators, and so many dead and dying people i can't count them--be it illness or violence or injury. And every day i go home and my kids ask me how was my day. And I tell them it was fine. If you think cops are so awful, put my hat on for a week. one week. That's all i have to say.

[Falcon63]

I know it's just a movie, but Harvey Dent had it right. Anyone wanna guess the quote I'm gonna use?

[Norway'sWaddlingMarmaloof]

Yeah I've given up on the bashers. I've pulled children off th highway and given CPR to people without faces. I've had a knife pulled on me four times, once by a Latin King in a stolen car with three others--and no partner or backup close. I've seen women battered and one burnt on a stove by her husband. Babies walking the streets while their cracked out moms were in an alley "earning". Old people with alzheimers. Young people with horrific addictions, middle-aged people swing from the end of a rope. Car accidents, suicide, child predators, and so many dead and dying people i can't count them--be it illness or violence or injury. And every day i go home and my kids ask me how was my day. And I tell them it was fine. If you think cops are so awful, put my hat on for a week. one week. That's all i have to say.

Nope. Pretty sure I couldn't handle it, and not looking to find out. It really is a thankless job, and of course there are a measureable number of a-holes. That's life.

[Thai Jet]

RIP to these two brave officers.

[Maxman]

I locked the other thread with a similar theme so this one gets locked as well.