PAX Centurion - March / April 2015

Page 22 • PAX CENTURION • March/April 2015 617-989-BPPA (2772) W hile driving on Route 138 on the way home from my son Brendan’s baseball practice, our conversation centered around why we have failed to go skiing at the Blue Hills, when we live just about three miles away. I was about to tell him that I would get back to him after I figured out why growing up in South Boston, I had never set foot in the J.F.K. Library when I probably looked at that distinct black and white building almost every day. What saved my futile explanation, was a phone call from my brother, Tommy. “Are you working? Have your radio on?”, were the first words out of his mouth. “No”, I said. “What’s going on?” “Shooting in Roxbury. One of our guys shot,” he answered. “Wait? What? How bad?,”I asked. Brendan, who is becoming a professional eavesdropper in his early days, heard my brother’s words and saw the immediate change in my expression. “I’ll call you when I get home. I’m with Brendan.” “What happened?” “Oh, nothing pal. Everything is fine.” “I heard something about a shooting. Is he ok? It was a police officer?” Turning towards Brendan I saw the Blue Hills Ski Resort behind him, and immediately wished we were still talking about ski- ing, or our lack thereof. John Moynihan’s name didn't ring a bell. I didn't know him. What does that matter anyway? He’s one of us. It’s a sick feeling you have whenever something like this happens. I texted a few guys I know in theYVSF about his condition. Words like “great dude, and tough kid” came back. Not surprising words, but in the days that fol- lowed, I learned that truer words were never spoken. The comments section of every online news outlet have kept me away from reading police stories recently (for obvious reasons), so I grabbed a paper edition of the Herald a couple of days after the shooting. An article about John caught my attention. His high school hockey coach had recalled a story of when John was a Senior at Norwood High School. His hockey coach offered this Things we have to deal with By Daniel O’Donnell fringe player the following: “Play on the varsity team, but you will not get much playing time.” His former coach gushed when recalling the next day John returned to him and said “Coach, I will do what ever it takes to help the team.” By the end of the year, John was a vital player on the team. This story brought to mind the saying, “Measure someones talent, yes, but you can’t measure heart.” “John is what a lot of us should aspire to be.”; words spoken by John’s former hockey coach. I relayed the hockey story to my son Brendan the next morning on the way to school. I reminded him that he was the Officer that was hurt a few days before. “That,” I said to him, “is the type of person you should want to be.” If he listens to 5% of what I say to him some- times, I hope that stays in the 5%. Before joining BPD, John served two tours in Iraq with theArmy Rangers. That should make all of us that stomped over the the detail board to “check hours” after getting whacked for a four-hour gang car in Brighton feel just grand. Almost immediately, word started coming out that there was a “very good” video of the shooting. Commissioner Evans wanted to get ahead of any type of backlash that could possibly gain steam. A forced move he had to do because, as recent history shows, rowdy crowds and slogans can play the media like a marionette. The Com- missioner emphatically put the facts out to the media before the wolves could attack, and attack they did as a couple ofYouTube videos showed up on the internet shortly after John was rushed to the hospital. It was hard not to watch the videos and not be infuriated. Our guy was shot in the face and we have to deal with this?? The crowd with cellphones in hand threw the verbal kitchen sink at the guys on scene who were trying to establish a crime scene. It didn’t work. What the wolves wanted was one of us to lash out, go hands on.. Then they would pounce…. And so would the media. teer participation from members we should be able to promote the BPPA and show the positive effects our members have on our neighborhoods. Secretary’s thoughts… From Secretary on page 7 For the near future, the BPPA trailer will be opened up on the last Friday of the month. Come down and have a burger or a dog, take care of any administrative business you need to take care of and use your union hall. Email Accounts P lease log onto www.bppamembers.org account . If you haven’t already done so, it’s a great way to stay informed about union business. If you need instructions go to bppa.org .