Investigators are saying that the 27-year-old son of Dallas Police Chief David Brown shot and killed a man in an apartment complex and then opened fire on responding officers, killing one. Brown's son was then shot to death in the incident.

David Brown Jr. appears to have shot 23-year-old Jeremy McMillan on Sunday, and it is believed that he then opened fire on 37-year-old Lancaster officer Craig Shaw, who was the first to die at the scene.

"This is a difficult time for all of us in law enforcement," said Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. Officers found weapons in Brown's car and his home, she said.

Lancaster Police Chief Keith Humphrey issued this statement about the death of Craig Shaw.

"This community has lost a good officer, and we want you to understand we are heartbroken. What makes this so devastating was that this was Father's Day," he said. "You have an officer who was selfless, working on Father's Day so that the citizens of this city could be safe. A selfless officer who was always the first to respond."

Brown had been in trouble in the past. In 2003, he was arrested for selling marijuana and pleaded no contest. Humphrey said he believed that Brown lived in the apartment complex.

As the son of a police officer, I can't imagine how this could have happened. I also can't imagine how devastating and hurt the Brown family must be after this incident. When I was in college, I remember the attention that my father would get when I would get too many speeding tickets or was involved in even minor incidents. To have one of his children accused of killing a fellow officer would be simply mind-boggling.

What I hope didn't occur is the possibility that Brown was allowed to use the shield of his father's position to protect himself. One of the added benefits of being the son of a cop is that fellow officers are less likely to arrest you or give you speeding tickets. When I would go to my hometown of Louisville, K.Y., and get pulled over (you know, every black man in Kentucky with New York tags is going to be profiled as a drug dealer), it only took one mention of my father's name to change the officer's demeanor completely.

Another reality of being the son of a cop is that I know the stress of wondering whether your father is going to come home every night. The fact that the Shaw family was forced to experience such an horrific nightmare is sad for us all. May Craig Shaw rest in peace and be honored for his bravery and sacrifice. I am sure that David Brown Sr. will be one of the first to send his condolences.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.