Backing the blue in Castle Pines
By Kathy Fallert; courtesy photos
Castle Pines resident Shane Lapp, a strong supporter of law enforcement, first responders and the military, organized a Back the Blue event at Berg Haus in Castle Pines last month. The well-attended event honored Lieutenant Brian Murphy.
Murphy is a former Oak Creek, Wisconsin police officer who was shot 17 times in his face, neck, head and extremities at a Sikh Temple in August 2012. He was first on the scene where a shooter killed six people and wounded Murphy. Now, Murphy speaks nationally about the need for quick police notification and response and the technologies used for faster 911 notifications in active shooter situations.
Lapp, originally from Wisconsin, sells protective equipment and weapons to law enforcement. He represented Armor Express, the company that provided the ballistic vest to Lieutenant Brian Murphy during the mass shooting in 2012.
When Lapp heard that Murphy was coming to Colorado to speak to command staff at the Rock Church in Castle Rock, Lapp did some last-minute planning and pulled together the surprise event. Several speakers honored Murphy, and then Murphy himself spoke to the crowd.
Lapp reflected, “These are the people who will risk their lives to save yours. They deserve to be honored, which is why I hosted this rally.”
