A retired captain with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, and his wife, were among dozens of people who showed up to the Sacramento Convention Center, Tuesday, Sept 18, to remember Mark Stasyuk, the Sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty on Monday, Sept. 17.
Don Jones explained how different things were when he became a law enforcement officer more than four decades ago.
“I always felt like the community was totally behind me when I was out there. I don’t know that they can feel that way the last few years and that’s kind of sad,” said Jones, as he talked about the tension between law enforcement and the community.
Jones said it was painful to hear some of the negative remarks made to officers by protestors on Tuesday.
“I'm all for more training and trying to make the profession better, but we have to support the men and women that we send out to do a very difficult, and as we saw two days ago, a very dangerous job, where you could get up in the morning and go to work and not come home,” Jones said.
The former captain credited his family's support for being able to have a long and fulfilling career.
“It was his career, but it was our family, and our family's choice,” said his wife, Mary Pat Jones. “It was a lifestyle that our family had to deal with, whether it be the hours, or the worry, or any of the things that come with law enforcement.”
Mary Pat Jones says for 40 years she knew there'd be a chance her husband might not come home from work.
“I didn’t just sit there constantly thinking about it, but in my mind, I was prepared for the eventuality that something might happen,” Jones said.
In 1989 something did happen. Jones was shot in the chest during a traffic stop.
“There's a phenomenon called survivor's guilt that I still feel to this day,” Jones explained. “I wonder why I was so lucky to be shot in the chest, and even though I was injured, I fully recovered.
Jones says he felt that guilt all over again on Monday when he learned about Stasyuk being shot to death in the line of duty.
“It hits me like a ton of bricks every time, because there’s nothing I could do about it,” Jones said.
The couple, who’s been married for 41 years, says a strong support system is key for those who risk their lives every day.
“You need a lot of strength, you need a lot of courage, and you need to be proud of what they do and not worry about some of these portrayals. You know that they're not true and you need to stand behind them,” said Jones’ wife.
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