Former BCPD officer speaks out for Philip Vernon

I received this email this afternoon and am putting it in as a blog post.

My name is Mike Moore. I am a former full-time Bossier City Police Officer. I left BCPD to pursue another opportunity in the hopes that it would save another officer’s job amid the budget crisis our city faced this year. I, unlike many others, was lucky enough to have stable financial support from my family. My proudest achievement was the day I was sworn in as a Bossier City Police Officer. It was my lifelong dream to serve my community as a police officer. As you can imagine, my decision to leave was one of the most difficult that I have ever made. Not a day goes by that I do not think of my fellow brothers and sisters who serve our community still. Having said that, I still feel an obligation to protect and defend those men and women when they come under fire.
I am writing in response to posts regarding the officer involved in the incident with Assistant D.A. Sherb Sentell. It is not my wish to bash Mr. Sentell or our city. I simply want to offer another point of view regarding the incident. The officer’s name is Phillip Vernon and I am proud to call him my friend. I worked alongside Officer Vernon on the night shift for more than a year and a half. His service to our city has never been anything less than exemplary. There was never a doubt on those nights that Officer Vernon would be a reliable source of assistance, knowledge, and service. He never took his responsibilities lightly and it reflected in his work, his demeanor, and his professionalism.
There is no typical night in Bossier City for a police officer. They perform their duties no matter the situation, time of day, or weather. They run to the things that most of us run away from. They always show up during every holiday, event, or disaster often sacrificing time with their own families to serve the needs of the community. It is not unusual for an officer to respond to call after call after call. It is not unusual for an officer to be in the middle of handling one situation while others in need await the next available officer. The men and women of the BCPD pride themselves in the services they provide our citizens. The needs of our citizens have always been and will remain the top priority of our police officers. Phillip Vernon is no exception. It is his desire to serve our community with the same dedication and conviction.
The question remains, did Mr Sentell threaten officer Vernon’s job? I don’t know Mr Sentell. Perhaps, he is the upstanding citizen he and others claim he is. I do, however, know Phillip Vernon. He is a man of character and integrity. He had nothing to gain by lying about Mr. Sentell’s actions. I believe wholeheartedly that Officer Vernon did exactly what he thought was right. He did exactly what he would have done no matter who the man or woman was in that patrol car. He did exactly what any of us would have done in the same situation. As I see it, the officers involved in Sentell’s arrest couldn’t have won that night. If they had let Sentell go, and he had harmed his wife, what would we all be saying now instead? They did what they were instructed to do under the law and as they would have no matter who the victim or suspect were. I believe that ultimately it didn’t matter which officers had been involved. The outcome would have been the same.