LYNCHBURG, Va. – Christopher Shirley is a 25-year-old black man who understands the outcry across the nation about racial injustice and claims of police brutality.
10 News reporter Magdala Louissaint asked Shirley, “Despite everything that’s going on do you ever regret choosing this profession? Shirley said, “No, not at all.”
He certainly doesn’t agree with the Minneapolis officer who kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck until he died.
“I think it’s unfortunate what he did. I think it’s bad tactics,” Shirley said.
Shirley is an academy recruit wanting to join the Lynchburg Police Department.
He moved to the Hill City after being a cop in New York City for three years.
“I found out law enforcement is a passion of mine and it got solidified during the current climate,” Shirley said.
Shirley has only been able to watch the local protests from the sidelines.
“I felt helpless and I felt I want to be out on the front line too. I want to contribute, I want to help, I want to be a bridge,” Shirley said.
And being a bridge right now is just what the department’s recruiter Sgt. Brian Smith is looking for.
“I can’t say to somebody, ‘You know what, I know what it’s like being a black man, feeling some of things that you feel,‘” Smith said.
Smith said having someone on board who is a thinker and good communicator will go a long way.
“When you talk to him you can tell he’s absorbing your information,” Smith said.
And it’s why Shirley is eager to get out on the street and help make changes for all people.
“I think once you break down those walls people will start to see that yes, the police are human. Yes, we all have struggles. Yes we’re trying to get through this together,” Shirley said.
Shirley is one of 12 recruits hoping to join LPD.
At the end of the month, the department hopes to be fully staffed.