Almost 10 seconds. Almost a Dozen Warnings. Think about that. I want everyone to pause and count to 10. Ten seconds may not seem like a long time—until it’s the last 10 seconds of your life. To those advocating to defund the police, I ask: How long is too long? How long is long enough? Consider this: what if the exact same scenario had unfolded, but the officer fired first, killing the suspect? What if the suspect wasn’t armed, but the officers believed he was reaching for a weapon? Here’s what would happen: There would be an outcry questioning why the stop was conducted in the first place. People would ask why more time wasn’t given for the suspect to comply or why the officer didn’t just wound him. The officers involved would be placed on desk duty while the State’s Attorney deliberated over potential murder charges. The family would hold a press conference demanding justice and a multimillion-dollar settlement from the city. We’d hear about how the suspect was on the verge of turning his life around. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) would probably recommend termination. Politicians would claim systemic racism had struck again, calling for even more scrutiny on law enforcement. This is the climate we face today—one shaped by politicians and media, systematically dismantling the foundation of policing. This erosion of public safety has left our young officers second-guessing themselves, hesitating in critical moments. In this profession, hesitation can be fatal. So, the next time you hear about an officer shooting a suspect—armed or unarmed—who refuses to comply, remember the last 10 seconds of Officer Martinez’s life. Ask yourself: What would you have done? #NeverForget