Across from the Greyhound bus station on April 9, Richmond citizens and law enforcement officers alike held a Blue Lives Matter rally where the community offered their support for the officers and the family of a recently killed trooper. Before the event took place, Emma Capps, the organizer of the rally, received hate messages online attacking her for being an evil racist.

Last month, midafternoon on March 31, gunfire broke out between James Brown III and Virginia State Troopers at the Greyhound bus station during a State Police training exercise to prevent drug transportation. State Trooper Chad Dermyer (pictured below) had approached Brown as part of the training activity and talked to him before Brown drew his handgun and opened fire. Two troopers returned fire until he was incapacitated and required medical assistance. In the crossfire, two other females were shot by Brown, but sustained only non-life threatening injuries. All four were transferred to the VCU Medical Center immediately, but Brown and Dermyer died later that evening.

In response to the tragedy, Henrico resident and conservative blogger Emma Capps organized a Blue Lives Matter rally to show support for American law enforcement and offer condolences for Dermyer to his family. She was very passionate about the tragedy, stating that, “When the tragic shooting of Trooper Dermyer happened right here in my own city and it directly impacted my community, I took it personally. I wanted to do something about it." Not everyone shared Capps’ enthusiasm, however. She was quickly slammed on social media for being a “white devil.” These hateful responses were in light of the Black Lives Matter movement that was started after a number of young black men and women were killed by white police officers. That did not stop Capps from continuing to plan the rally, which was very successful in that dozens of Richmond residents and officers showed up to give their support.

Why do some Black Lives Matter supporters have such a negative response to this positive event? The number of offenses that have been committed against people of color by law enforcement is huge. Racism is still present in America today, particularly between the law and civilians. The backlash that police officers have received by activists and the communities they protect is undeserved and unappreciative in many circumstances. As a result, there is a lot of bitterness, unfairness, and prejudice between both groups. Can tensions ever be resolved fully?

You cannot claim that every arrest or fight against an African American by officers is racist police brutality. Similarly, you cannot claim that every police officer is simply trying to protect his community. I do not even think it is fair to suggest that either case is in the majority, we just do not have the evidence to prove it convincingly either way. Despite this controversy, the police brutality that people of color face needs to be addressed, and soon. There have been too many lives lost due to systematic racism. But the scapegoat, that every officer is racist, is absolutely disgraceful. It shames the Black Lives Matter movement and reduces it to an unreasonable group of people, no matter their race. Law enforcement officers risk their lives everyday they put on their uniforms, and that must be remembered and respected. Black lives matter. Blue lives matter.