The United States is a nation imperfectly founded but one in which all citizens now enjoy equal freedoms and justice under the law. Unfortunately, some of America's greatest freedoms-speech, press, and protest-are being manipulated into becoming its Achilles heel. The past sin of slavery is invoked as the media, activists, and politicians racialize police incidents, attack law enforcement and divide the nation in a way no foreign power ever could. This book proves through scientific evidence that news and social media narratives about deadly police shootings being systemically racist, are systemically false. Far from superficial descriptions of the subject's age, race, and city the shooting occurred in, critical facts regarding the subject's actions and officer's reactions are key to understanding why deadly force was justifiably used. After exposing the media's bias of several high-profile incidents, 90 officer-involved shootings of unarmed subjects and 108 line of duty officer murders are analyzed according to more than a dozen relevant criteria. Read about the details of these incidents and decide for yourself whether the officers pulled the trigger because of the color of someone's skin, as is often alleged; the subject's violent actions, as is often the case; or a tragic mistake made under intense circumstances, as sometimes happens. Learn how officers who did not use deadly force in very similar situations were tragically murdered. Their last moments prove why officers are justifiably alarmed when people refuse lawful commands to show their hands. When people comply, everyone stays alive!
Mike Simonelli has over 50 combined years of decorated and honorable service to the nation and New York. From 1989-2019 he served in the U.S. military. Graduating from the Air Force Academy with a B.S., Mike was an active-duty Air Force officer for five years before transferring to the U.S. Army National Guard and then Reserves. As a Civil Affairs Special Operations Army officer, Mike deployed to Iraq from 2003-2004 and then Afghanistan for the surge of 2010. Retiring as a lieutenant colonel, his awards include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Combat Action Badge, and Air Force Combat Action Medal. From 2000-2021 Mike was an active law enforcement officer assigned to patrol, highway patrol, community-oriented police enforcement and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA). He received numerous commendations and three times was overwhelmingly voted by his fellow officers to be on their PBA Executive Board. Most recently, Mike earned his M.S. in National Security Studies from American Military University in 2020.
