Lonzie Cox, Jr. – 1/6/06

This page was last updated on January 27, 2006.

I wish, I wish, I wish …; Lonzie Cox, Jr.; Beaver County Times; January 6, 2006. I am not related to Mr. Cox.

Read Mr. Cox’s letter closely and I think you’ll agree this is one of the most incredible things you’ve ever read.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I wish the incident that cost State Police Cpl. Joseph Pokorny his life had never happened.

“I wish the best outcome for his teenage children. They’re going to miss their Dad every day.

“I wish Officer Pokorny had been reminded that some traffic violations, even extreme speeding, won’t be punished.”

[RWC] Translation: If Cpl. Pokorny had ignored a speeding (80-90 mph according to the charged killer) vehicle, i.e. not done his job, he’d be alive today. This is “blame Pokorny” #1.

“I wish he had remembered that at the end of a patrol, the end of a shift, or even the end of a career some work will be left undone, whether one is a trooper, a doctor or whatever other important job.”

[RWC] Translation: If Cpl. Pokorny had “punched out early,” he’d be alive today. This is “blame Pokorny” #2. Does this and “blame Pokorny” #1 give us an insight into Mr. Cox’s work ethic?

“I wish Cpl. Pokorny had waited for other officers to assist him. Maybe no shooting would have occurred with the greater police presence. Not knowing why - or if the car’s driver drove away - I can only wish he (the suspect) would have calmly pulled over to see what the trooper wanted as most of us would have done (even at 2 a.m.).”

[RWC] Translation: If Cpl. Pokorny hadn’t done what he had probably done hundreds of times during his 22-year career, he’d be alive today. This is “blame Pokorny” #3.

Left unwritten was that the charged killer was a long time criminal who was out on parole despite serving only half of his maximum sentence. Also, the charged killer was carrying an illegal handgun, an obvious parole violation that would have put the charged killer back into prison. One of the occupants was a fugitive from a halfway house and the other had more than a pound of heroin in his hotel room. Could these be reasons why the killer didn’t “calmly pull over?”

“I wish Cpl. Pokorny’s protective vest would have protected him better.”

[RWC] Translation: The bulletproof vest was to blame. As a reminder, the fatal shot entered Cpl. Pokorny in the armpit area where vests can’t provide protection.

“I wish Trooper Pokorny wouldn’t have gotten so close to the suspect that the suspect could allegedly grab his gun, disarm him and shoot him with his own weapon.”

[RWC] Translation: If Cpl. Pokorny hadn’t done what he had probably done hundreds of times during his 22-year career, he’d be alive today. This is “blame Pokorny” #4.

“And I wish the suspect wasn’t charged with killing a state policeman, ruining his life as well.”

[RWC] Does Mr. Cox believe the charged killer should be let go, or does he believe the killer was acting in self-defense?

“I just wish the whole thing had never happened. I guess that’s all we can do at this point.”

[RWC] This is an incredible letter. No less than four times does Mr. Cox blame Cpl. Pokorny for his murder, and let’s not forget blaming the bulletproof vest.

Not once does Mr. Cox come close to blaming the killer. Indeed, Mr. Cox comes close to portraying the charged killer “as most of us.”

Is Mr. Cox’s solution for policing really to “just wish the whole thing had never happened?” After all, he says that’s all we can do at this point. Apparently Mr. Cox believes the killer should not be punished.

If you’ve read Mr. Cox’s letters, you know many of his letters are laced with what I believe to be racism. Given this inclination, I expected Mr. Cox to blame Cpl. Pokorny for pulling over the car because the occupants were “driving while black.” I believe since Mr. Cox felt he couldn’t write what he really believed, he concocted the above “blame Pokornys” above.