LETTER: What might have been

I am a random Las Vegas resident with no connection to the Metropolitan Police Department. However I’ve been thinking a lot about officer Austin Abdelnabi. He gave his life in protection of this community under the Interstate-11 bridge and Mountain Vista Street at 4 p.m. on Aug. 4.

Almost every day, I drive by that bridge on my way home from work at 3 p.m. The first thing I do when I get home is gather up my son and walk around the area surrounding Harley Harmon Elementary, tossing the football back-and-forth. Many of those walks involve us leaving our subdivision by Harley Harmon, and walking up Hacienda Street. We walk to that very bridge before turning around and heading back to our house. It’s a routine that, going forward, I’m heavily considering doing while armed.

I wonder what could’ve been had this seemingly mentally ill individual made a left at Hacienda and Mountain Vista instead of continuing just 30 yards north to that bridge. I wonder what that mentally ill individual, loaded to the teeth, would’ve done had my son and I come face to face with him walking down that sidewalk that August day.

God bless officer Austin Abdelnabi, and condolences to his family.