The Hockey Life: Week 15

It was a pretty sad time this past week down here in the Tampa Bay area. On Monday, two St. Petersburg police officers were shot and killed trying to serve an arrest warrant. The deaths of those two brave men -- both married and one a father of three children -- have left a hollow feeling across the area.

Over the 25-and-counting years of my newspaper career, especially in the early days, working the police beat was part of my job. For the most part, it was a fun and, to say the very least, interesting gig. There were times, though, mostly getting grieving families to share private moments, that weren't very much fun.

Through daily police blotter checks, as well as covering assorted felonies, nasty car accidents and the occasional murder, I'd gotten to know quite a few officers, deputies and state troopers. By and large, they were good people doing a very difficult and demanding job. Away from the job, and out of uniform, they were like most everyone else -- husbands, wives, parents and neighbors.

These days, we find ourselves, through the game of hockey, on the periphery of the law enforcement community. The hockey team Colin plays for, the Stars, is sponsored by the Pinellas Police Athletic League. Some of his coaches are detectives or deputies. A few teammates have parents who work in law enforcement. For that reason alone, the officers' deaths hit close to home.

On Friday, hours after the officers' funeral, we learned just how much closer this terrible tragedy nearly came.

A fellow Pinellas P.A.L. hockey parent was part of the first group to go inside the house that fateful morning. He saw colleagues get shot. He shouted "Officers down!" into his radio. And, sadly, he witnessed death. Of that small group who faced an armed fugitive (and now dead) holed up in an attic, only he went home to his family Monday night.

After a long, sad week, I'm hoping he's thankful for that. We are.