EVERY now and again something happens which halts you in your tracks and makes you feel physically sick.
I’ve had two such instances in the last month or so.
The first was when I was witnessed the crash at Shoreham Airshow which resulted in 11 people losing their lives.
It was a day which I will never forget, a day where everything else in my life seemed completely irrelevant, a true out of body experience which I’d not wish on anyone.
After a week of walking around in an emotional daze, I’ve finally been able to think properly again.
Sadly, others will not be so fortunate.
The second was when I read the front page of The Argus just a few days ago.
It reported that police officers took a video selfie at the Shoreham crash site in the immediate aftermath of the airshow tragedy.
What’s worse, they then shared it with at least one colleague with a cruel, sickening comment below.
Working in the media, I’m well used to dealing with gallows humour and making light of the most dreadful situation.
But the alleged comments which were attached to the video are so horrendous that even though they have been reported elsewhere, out of common decency and respect to those involved, I will not repeat them in this column.
At the time of writing this, what has since happened has been unclear.
As is usual in a time of crisis when one of their own is involved, Sussex Police has closed ranks.
They have only publicly said that they are investigating the matter.
But behind closed doors, I imagine that senior officers will be working overtime to try and deal with the situation.
If it was a member of the public who posted such things on social media, then officers would be round there in a shot.
The person responsible would be named and shamed before they were even charged.
And the trial through the courts would effectively ostracise them from their community, potentially meaning the individual loses their job, friends and even their home.
But because those in this instance belong to a select club, it seems like the only response is special treatment – to hide the individual away, protect their identity and carry out a lengthy internal investigation.
Speaking to a few former senior police officers, they always underline that fact that anyone falling foul of the law should be dealt with without fear or favour.
This means no one should be exempt from the usual course of action.
Just days before, individual Sussex Police officers were out in force on social media congratulating each other for the way in which they had handled the horrific aftermath of the airshow.
Forget the fire crews, forget the paramedics, forget the volunteers, forget the football club, forget the general public – it seemed like in their police bubble, only they had contributed.
From where I was, it was far more than that.
It was one of those moments where the whole community, everyone of all ages, came together, united and did their bit in the most awful of situations.
Everyone, it seems, apart from one rogue individual who we’re taught and told to expect so much more from.
It’s now up to Sussex Police to deal with this incident properly, as they would do any other individual.
If that means they lose their job, their pension, their dignity, then so be it.
After all, even the law is not above the law.
I started off this column talking about moments which made me feel sick.
But last weekend was a moment which made me see the other side of human nature – that of pure unadulterated goodness in human beings.
I was one of more than one thousand people who went along to Worthing United’s first football match since they lost two players in the airshow tragedy.
It was an incredibly emotional affair, one that is nigh on impossible to explain.
The match itself would normally only have 50 or so spectators.
But in what was an extremely fitting tribute, there were 20 times that number, raising thousands for the families of Jacob Schilt and Matt Grimstone.
To be amongst those there was simply humbling.
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