Daniel Osen

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘'𝗦 𝗡𝗢 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗙𝗧. Like police officers anywhere in the world, those on duty in Kraków, Poland, today will have started their shift expecting to go about their usual business. The same routines, the same responsibilities and the same sorts of incidents they deal with every day. None of them could have known that, shortly after 3pm this afternoon, Saturday 7 November, they would find themselves confronting a heavily armed gunman who had opened fire on innocent members of the public in the city's historic Main Market Square. Six people tragically lost their lives and at least 15 others were injured in the attack, before police confronted the gunman near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets. One of those officers found himself facing a man equipped with military-style clothing, a helmet, body armour and an assault-style rifle. Armed with his police-issue handgun, he confronted the attacker and opened fire, bringing him to the ground. Footage of the incident reportedly shows the officer dropping to his knees, firing again and continuing to watch over the gunman despite having been wounded, before eventually collapsing himself. That officer, and his colleagues, faced unimaginable danger and did what they were trained to do. They confronted an armed killer, putting their own lives on the line to prevent him from taking any more. Two police officers were wounded during the intervention. One sustained three gunshot wounds and was last reported to be in a very serious condition, undergoing emergency surgery. It's a sobering reminder of the reality of policing, wherever in the world you serve. You can spend your entire shift dealing with the most ordinary of incidents, never knowing when everything might change in an instant. These officers went to work today expecting to protect the public, and when confronted with the very worst of humanity, that's exactly what they did. We sincerely hope both wounded officers make a full recovery. We hope they, their families and colleagues know that the police family around the world is thinking of them tonight, with enormous respect for their courage and bravery. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the innocent people injured in this horrific attack, those who tragically lost their lives, and the families whose lives have been changed forever. Wherever you serve, remember that there really is no such thing as a routine call. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. UK Cop Humour