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By all accounts, this was a senseless murder of a police officer in Wellston, Missouri on Sunday afternoon.
Wellston is a St. Louis suburb, and Officer Michael Langsdorf responded to a call from the Wellston Food Market regarding someone trying to pass a bad check. While details are still emergung, something happened within just a few minutes, and Officer Langsdorf was shot.
In a press conference, Police Chief John Buchannan with the North County Police Cooperative said Officer Michael Langsdorf died at the hospital after a shooting Sunday afternoon. Buchannan said the shooting happened at around 4:30 Sunday afternoon at the Wellston Food Market near the intersection of Page and Stephen Jones Avenues.”
Buchannan said the officer was called to the market for a report of a bad check. Five minutes later they received a call for an officer down.”
Langsdorf was rushed to Barnes Jewish Hospital, where he died from his injuries.”
Buchannan said a suspect was taken into custody and a weapon was recovered.”
The circumstances are terrible enough without the additional horror that bystanders and media were about to inflict on Officer Langsdorf’s loved ones. As the officer lay dying, a bystander – reportedly a cashier at the market – took out her phone and livestreamed some of the officer’s last moments on this earth.
While police rushed to the scene, someone at the store streamed his final moments. Her name is Kashina Harper and her Facebook profile shows that she’s a cashier supervisor at the store.”
In the heartbreaking and disturbing video, you can see the officer moving. The person holding the camera is swearing about what happened.”
They are telling him to hang on.”
Minutes later, other officers arrive. The Facebook live stream continues, and you see the other officers performing CPR on him and begging him to stay alive.”
Officer Michael Langsdorf, who had only been with the department for about three months, did not survive.”
What could be worse? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper decided to link the Facebook livestream into their own story.
Law Enforcement Today noted that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared the livestream video in their news article before the officer had even been identified or next of kin notifications had been announced.
The livestream video was taken down by Facebook, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch has now removed the link from their site.
As you can imagine, the editorial decision by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was met with horror.
The St. Louis Post Disgrace doing what it does best. Irresponsible journalism and showing the last moments of a dying officer. You should all be ashamed of yourselves . This is disgusting. You owe those officers and that family an apology at LEAST!
— GabbifromTx. (@GabbifromTexas) June 24, 2019
You posted the video of him dying. The clerk live streamed it and you showed it. You're no longer journalists. You're trash.
— DPL (@Lipinski96) June 24, 2019
I can’t even get into the mindset of someone who sees a police officer shot and obviously in critical condition, and thinks, “I should livestream this on Facebook!” And for all its protestations on how it is trying to police wrongthink, Facebook left this video up long enough for it to be discovered and linked to by the Post-Dispatch. Also, whoever had editorial oversight and thought that putting the link into the online story was a good idea should be fired. That is so beyond the ethics of journalism, not to mention just beyond the realm of common decency.
An officer is murdered and all people want is their clickbait. Both on social media and in the press.
This is Officer Langsdorf. Picture released by @NorthCountyCoop, adding PO Langsdorf leaves behind two children, a fiancé, parents and an enormous amount of friends and family. #RIP pic.twitter.com/ot1INFBWF2
— Emily Pritchard (@emilyjpritch) June 24, 2019
Two children have lost their father, and they will have to live with knowing that their father’s suffering was recorded and broadcast for the world to see. May they be able to find some comfort in getting justice for their father, and may Officer Langsdorf rest in peace.
Featured image via Pexels, free for use
Tom says: Sounds like an ambush. I would arrest the person that lived streamed as an accomplice and for culpable negligence for not trying to save the officers life.
GWB says: I can’t even get into the mindset of someone who sees a police officer shot and obviously in critical condition, and thinks, “I should livestream this on Facebook!”
Let me say that I think I can understand it. It wouldn’t be what I would do – but I have capabilities beyond “being a bystander.”
The person has no first aid capabilities, they have no capabilities (or they are unnecessary) to capture the assailant, but they do have the phone and a desire to communicate the horror that is happening in front of them. They might not desire fame/notoriety because of it, nor have any animus toward the subject of their filming. They don’t desire to pass on the awfulness of their situation to multiply it, but to minimize it by sharing.
Some people react poorly to tragedy happening in front of them.
Now, it also could be the person is just a ghoul. Or, perhaps looking for fame. In which case, I have to resist the temptation to hope their gruesome (and hopefully stupid) death is caught on camera.
whoever … thought that putting the link into the online story was a good idea should be fired.
Yeah, that was … dumb. I don’t know if it violated ethics, but it certainly violated good sense. *smh*
GWB says: RIP Officer Langsdorf.
I will pray for his family and friends.
Deanna Fisher says: Ethics dictate that next of kin are notified first before media releases names or details. I did not try and view the video, but I am guessing that the officer’s face was easy to see on the livestream, and that his name may have even been identifiable off his uniform. The newspaper provided that link in the story while it was “breaking” and before Officer Langsdorf’s family was notified. It’s just cruel in every way to his loved ones.
GWB says: You are right.
Wfjag says: There is an unintended upside. The video will make it hard for BLM and other progressive groups to demonize Officer Langsdorf, although they will try.
Wyldkat says: Perspective from a friend and co-worker of Officer Langsdorf.
https://donofalltrades.com/2019/06/24/mike/
GWB says: Thank you for that, Wyldkat.
He points out the issue, too, of not knowing what to do because you have no idea how to handle a traumatic event.
Please, people, get some training. Get your head into it, and game out “what if” scenarios. Think “what’s something awful that could happen right now?” and then work out how you could HELP any victims or PREVENT the awfulness altogether. Even something as small as “What if this driver changed lanes RIGHT NOW? How should I react?”
Learn to be the master of your here and now. You may never be the master of your fate, but you can respond well to your here and now.
You don’t have to be a cop like Officer Langsdorf. You don’t have to be a President or a firefighter or a Navy SEAL. You just have to plan so you can take control of your present when the badness happens.
The side effect is that you’ll become a better citizen, too, and you’ll probably carry along some of those around you. Then, you’ll have made a real, positive difference in the world.
Scott says: Agree 100% GWB.. CPR classes and even basic first aid classes are free in many areas, and a simple “stop the bleed” kit for serious injuries can be had for around $50..
kjon says: I wonder how Facebook would react if it was one of their employees whose death was live streamed?
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