Killing a police officer is one of the most devastating and terrible crimes a criminal can commit. Killing a police officer can result in the death penalty in states that have it and, of course, heavy jail time, yet people still pull the trigger on police officers.   One of the most famous cases in recent memory was the 1981 killing of a Philadelphia police officer by Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Police officer Daniel Faulkner, while  performing a routine traffic stop, was gunned down by Abu-Jamal, who was later arrested, charged and convicted of shooting Faulkner five times, including once in the face from no more than 12 inches away.

While many individuals at the time and still many today felt that Abu-Jamal should be sentenced to death, Debo Adegbile, a civil rights leader who provided legal assistance to Abu-Jamal, managed to keep him away from death.

The case lost some if its luster over the years, though it would spring up from time to time when similar crimes were committed or incidents that involved police shootings took place. However, recent events brought it right back to the forefront of controversy.  President Obama is now being slammed for appointing Adegbile – who many call the defender of a “cop killer” — to lead voter-rights enforcement at the Department of Justice.

The police officer’s widow, Maureen Faulkner, called the nomination a “disgrace” in an interview on Fox News in January.  Faulkner went on to say that she feels that “police officers throughout this country are out there to protect the public and they should be respected.  And by  President Obama nominating him is like spitting on all of our officers and our federal agents throughout America.”   Mrs. Faulkner is completely right in her outrage over this nomination, and she isn’t the only one who feels this way.

For more coverage of the nomination of Debo Adegbile’s nomination visit NPR’s website at:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/03/05/286393192/senate-rejects-obama-nominee-for-key-civil-rights-post