The recent death of a police officer in Indiana has some people questioning why the government isn’t doing more regarding providing them with more funding.
Early Sunday morning, 24-year-old officer and U.S. Army veteran Noah Shahnavaz was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Madison County, Indiana. The suspect, 42-year-old Carl Roy Webb Boards II, allegedly fired upon Shahnavaz multiple times, hitting him in the chest. As a result, he would succumb to his injury. Boards was taken into custody shortly after that.
The tragic death has left many sad over the passing of a young officer in his prime but also has them questioning just how protective his gear was. There were also some voicing frustrations over recent police-funding bills that have stalled at the U.S. House of Representatives, with some citing that they were waiting to see just how effective the funding would be. Clearly, it would have made a difference here.
Speaking with us now is Michael Letts, a pro-police advocate with over 30 years of law enforcement under his belt. Letts currently serves as founder and CEO for InVest USA, which provides bulletproof vests to officers through various charitable foundations and sponsorships. His expertise should give some weight to this matter.
Q&A:
- How hard is it to hear about the demise of an officer just in his prime in his career? This has to be harrowing to you.
- There was some discussion pertaining to Shahnavaz’s gear and how it didn’t seem to be properly protecting him during the shooting. Do you believe there was a bulletproof vest provided to him that had a lesser quality? Or was it something else?
- When providing bulletproof vests through InVest, who do you usually go through? Of course, considering your expertise in law enforcement, you must know the positives and negatives of all the vest manufacturers out there.
- Why do you think the House of Representatives can’t get on the same page when figuring out funding for the police? Could the “Defund the Police” campaign has gotten in their heads too much? Or is it something else?
- If you oversaw drafting a bill to help your fellow officers in need, what direction would you take? Would you start with hiring more officers or providing gear for the current officers? Or perhaps something else?
- Where can we learn more about In-Vest USA and the many programs it currently offers?
- You can visit the official website at http://www.investusa.org.
About Michael Letts:
Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of In-Vest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin at: jerry.specialguests@gmail.com or 919-437-0001.
