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Coffee with a Cop pours into community
By Stephanie Maso, Centennial Citizen
Original article HERE
When elementary school student Cullen Murphy asked his mom, “What do I do if a bad guy comes to my school with a gun,” his mother wanted to make sure he received the best answer.
On March 9, Cullen’s mother let him skip school in the morning so he could directly interact with a deputy at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office’s Coffee with a Cop event in Centennial.
“His concept was, I know what Spider-Man would do, but I can’t do that,” Deputy Brian McKnight said.
At the Starbucks at 5070 E. Arapahoe Road, McKnight sat down with Cullen and his mother for more than half an hour to explain the run, hide, fight, treat, recover program taught in schools.
“If the bad guy has fear, he has control,” McKnight said to Cullen.
Across the room, three elementary-aged brothers, Ryan, Eli and Aiden Brown ooh-ed and ah-ed as Sheriff David Walcher showed the crowd the tools on his belt.
“I liked knowing what was on his belt,” Ryan said. “I really liked his Taser.”
The boys laughed and listened as Walcher talked to the brothers.
“It was fun to hear our questions being answered,” Aiden said. “I wanted to know if he liked being a cop.”
Citizens met with law enforcement through the morning, asking questions and getting to know the people who keep their communities safe.
“Law-abiding citizens really love what we do,” Walcher said. “At a local level, we can make a difference in our community.”
