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And Katrina Takes Another - In Memory of “Step” (VIDEO)

July 6th, 2006 at 11:12 by MsUnderestimated

I came back from vacation on Thursday night 29 June 2006 only to hear sad news. My dear friend, Dennis Stepnowski, had been murdered. He was killed in the line of duty. Step, as he was known, was a cop’s cop. He was a mentor to younger, less-experienced officers. I’d never have thought Step would be one to be taken down like this. He was a WWE-type, buffed-up body-builder, who was a physical fitness nut. I’ve always winced every time I heard about a DeKalb Co. GA police officer getting hurt, because it’s a very bad area, but I always thought “nah, it’s not Step… he won’t go down like that.”

Well, Thursday night he did. I have been trying since then to write about it and I’m just now barely able to. But I have to - in Dennis’ honor. You see, Dennis was a mentor to me when I first started out on the job. He was a great guy, humble, and full of compassion for his fellow man. He also saved many fellow officers’ lives on the job. Dennis was the picture of benevolence and bravery. How did Step die? He was shot through the neck while attempting to arrest an armed robbery suspect, who later turned out to be wanted for murder out of Louisiana. About 20 shots were exchanged.

And Katrina takes another….

When will the good people of this country stand up and be heard, and tell the Katrina parasites from Louisiana to go home? Mr. Nagin, you owe the rest of the country more than you can ever repay. You’ve got what you wanted, a subservient welfare culture, and you had them all bussed back to vote your dumbass back into office. Now, why don’t you send those busses back to where your voters now live, and make them come back home? You and your state’s Democratic policies are what have fostered this welfare, “gimme” mentality, and the rest of us are paying a very dear price for it.

When all is said and done, Louisiana will have paid a far lesser price for the damages done by Katrina. A year after the hurricane left, the parasites from New Orleans and the surrounding parishes continue to pollute society as long as they stay away from home. They demand their “rights” to free government housing, food, money, breast implants, jewelry, designer bags, etc. The time is now to get off your damn lazy asses and get your shit together. If you don’t like it here in Georgia, or in Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, or any of the other places you’ve infested, then go the hell back home. We’re THROUGH with you here! I know our crime rate has risen immeasurably, and I for one am sick of it.

Mayor Nagin, and Governor Blanco… TAKE BACK YOUR CHOCOLATE CITY, so the rest of the world can get on with their LIVES! Too many Katrina evacuees are wreaking havoc in this country. Rapes, robberies, murders, fraud, theft, and the list just goes on and on. Enough is enough. Take it back, Mr. Chocolate City. No more free rides. It’s time to take responsibility for your actions and INactions. And don’t blame the federal government. Mississippi and Alabama have been on their feet for a long time now. Take your shit and go home.

Please pray not only for Step, but for all of the other law enforcement officers who are out there every day, putting their lives on the line for you. Remember, for every time you hear on the news about bystanders running from a crazed gunman, there is somebody’s son or daughter wearing a police uniform running toward that crazed gunman.

I love you, Step… I will miss you so much. You’re in my heart always. God has your six now, and I await our meeting on the other side. Heaven needs a cop like you. Godspeed, my friend. This is a huge loss to the entire law enforcement community. He will never be forgotten. Step was my brother - and this is a brother- and sister-hood that runs very deep. When we lose one of our own, it hits us all very hard because we’re family. And even harder when it’s close to you.

“It’s not how these men died that made them heroes…but how they lived.”

Oh, and listen to the perp’s sister blame the “system.” The only good news out of this is that Step killed the scumbag (Lucas Palmer).

Watch news stories here, here & here.

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Viewing 39 Comments

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    B&K;:

    Thank you for your kind comments. You describe the Step I knew so well. He had a huge heart, and heaven has one serious protector now. You are right; he was never racist at all. He was just a good man doing a hero's job.

    I was so happy to hear the Patriot Guard Riders chose his funeral to be the first-ever LE funeral they participated in. It was quite an honor, and the group was amazed at the number of friends, family, and admirers Step left behind. They felt honored just to be part of it.

    Thanks for stopping by. I just removed the registration requirement from my site at the request of a few others.

    Write anytime.

    Ms.U
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    We don't know you...or maybe we do, but didn't connect the site to you; we wanted to add our two cents.

    Step & Kel are friends of ours, so we know the real man. Those who didn't know Step, have no right to suggest he might be racist. He wasn't, and he never approached his job that way. He was as equal opportunity as they come. He was just very dedicated in ALL he became involved with...and yes, he was very intense. As candid as he was when we hung out or in internet chats, he never said ANYTHING which might be considered racially motivated. Yes, he had great police stories, but he'd rather talk about his car or his wife. THAT was the Step we knew.

    Nearly six months later, it still hurts. I'm still haunted by the loss of someone so young, so funny and so protective of his friends. I still haven't deleted his number from my phone...its strange. Yet, whatever it is that bothers me about his death, is nothing compared to how his wife and family feels about the loss; the future left unfinished, the questions yet answered. Why?

    That night at the funeral home, as I touched his chest and said goodbye, I was angered - but resolved to be an even better person. I realized that with all the people in the funeral home, the funeral and the coverage it received, that Step touched more people than he could ever imagine. He was a hero, but never acted like one to his friends. It became so much clearer to me: ordinary people can do extraordinary things! Peace!
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    Kate says:

    July 6th, 2006 at 4:22 pm

    Ms. U,

    My sincere condolences to this fine officer’s family…May he rest in peace and watch over y’all like an angel from above.

    I just wish I was not reading some of the mean comments… (a response to the original post - Ms. U) I understand from where you are coming and venting your anger through your grief.
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    Joan says:

    July 6th, 2006 at 3:26 pm

    First of all, let me express my sympathy for not only a life, but for the life of one whose job was to protect us from the criminals roaming our streets. It is fortunate that ‘Step’ was able to reduce the number of ‘Wanted’ by one before he died.

    Louisiana is a state well known for its corruption in government since the days of Huey Long many years ago. The damage done by Katrina could’ve been minimized had the money allotted for strengthening the levies been used to do just that. And could anyone in the government, state or city, explain where it went? And here we are in the beginning of another hurricane season and nothing has been done to prevent the same catastrophe from happening again.

    And what did the citizens of New Orleans do? They elected that same mayor who remarkably survived Katrina. The responsibility of the deaths of those who didn’t evacuate should not be blamed on the Federal Government. It was the responsibility of Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco to see that an attempt was made to move those people, whether they wanted to go or not, from harm’s way. They failed to take control of the situation, and now tax payer dollars from the Federal Government is being handed out to those who survived. What they should be getting is job applications so they can go to work and not depend on the government to support them. The state and local governments should not be in control of any money granted for the rebuilding or the cleanup nor for making the levies stronger. That’s been done, it didn’t work, and why throw good money after bad?

    As for not having a means of escape. why didn’t someone go to the bus depot where thousands of school buses were parked and hotwire them for their escape to safety? Isn’t survival one of the strongest instincts in man? Or, with the amount of advance notice these people had, they could’ve walked or even hitch hiked away from the path of the storm. No, they took the way of most people on welfare. They waited for a government that wasn’t there for them.

    The article written by Ms Underestimated on this might’ve been a bit strong, possibly because of her grief over the loss of a fellow officer, but her anger was understandable. If the man who killed him was already wanted for another murder, then why had he not been captured and tried? Was an incompetent police department even another weakness of the state and/or the city?

    All of this could be argued back and forth for ages and probably will be, but the lesson learned from Step’s death and from Katrina is clear. The state and city governments need some work, and men and women of integrity to do it.
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    Jules says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 11:05 pm

    The loss of an officer like Stepnowski leaves a painful void in the hearts of the people who knew him best. We have all been diminished by his passing. He gave his life in the service of his fellow man.
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    Doug says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 6:40 pm

    I have been a Lawrenceville, GA Officer for almost 5 years. I am employed with several former Dekalb Officers who say that Step was a great guy and officer. As a member of the Honor Guard, I was present for Step’s funeral. It is hard on even those that did not know Step, because it could happen to any of us. God be with you Step, Kellie, Mr. & Mrs. Stepnowski and all friends and family.

    America, remember you call upon us to protect your homes, businesses, and families. We place our lives in jeopardy everyday when we place that uniform on.

    Remember Us!
    Praise Us!
    Honor Us!
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    Fred says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 5:19 pm

    The loss of any public servant is a loss hard felt. Being a US service member myself having experienced the grief of losing a friend in the line of duty is a tough loss to deal with. Especially since public service is something fewer and fewer Americans choose to do.

    The officer's comments were strong and harsh singling out a particular race of people by calling it the choclate city (Mayor Nagin's term - Ms. U) assuming that blacks are the source of all crime. He is upset and rightfully so because he lost a good friend. Was he justified singling out a race of people calling them all crooks, rapists, and murderers… no. However hindsight is 20/20 and looking back at it I am sure he is sorry for his comments. It is equally racist for people to think that because he is a white law enforcement officer from the south that he is automatically racist.

    The reason why attention is brought to those displaced by katrina is because the situations they bring warrant attention. They are for the most part bottom feeders who can’t survive without government intervention. There have been well documented cases of people improperly using government funds to their own means not associated with survival. These discrepencies with these people have not been nationally brought to the attention of US citizens. My question is why. It is an infuriating problem for me to see money being wasted on these people. They are taking advantage of the laws in this country aimed at helping people so they can continue to get something for nothing.

    Whats basically going to happen is our government will be forced to create new legislation that blocks easy access to gov’t funds for people displaced by natural disasters making more paperwork and checks for people who actually need it slowing the process for them to get relief making a bad time in ones life even worse.
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    mike w says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 4:21 pm

    What a tragic loss,in the prime of his life
    taken by a no-good scumbag who had no regard for public safety.

    THese people come from a town that has no respect for law enforcement, and form their entire existance on how to milk the government for what they can rather than working an honest job for an honest living. Cities like atlanta, houston and all the other cities that opened their arms to these scumbag low lifes, and for what?

    We watch our crime figures rise, and short of vigilante justice, we have our hands tied. The Mr chocolate mayor that went through the trouble to have people bussed back to scumville to vote should keep all these people in their own cesspool and let us have our cities back, and keep your scum in your own toilet WE DON’T WANT THEM WE DON’T NEED THEM. Maybe the next storm will finish the job the first one started

    Step I hope the view from view from up there is a good one. You are deeply missed and will never be forgotten.
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    Squiddy says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 2:13 pm

    I was a cop in New Orleans for 6 years before I got fed up with the absolute corruption, lazyness, and ignorance I saw every day. Saddly, a good portion of it was in my own precint house.

    Really, there are no democrats or republicans in Chocolate City, just a long line of people with their hands out and their eyes closed, content to suckle at the government teat. It doesn’t matter to them to which party their leaders pay lip service, just as long as their check comes on the first of the month. I’ve always been a registered Democrat, and I can’t tell you how much that sort of mentality disgusts me, at the same time though, I get sick and tired of people thinking that the average Dem supports this kind of non-sense.

    But, I’m getting off topic.

    Rest Well Step, your brothers will always remember their fallen.
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    cee says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 2:07 pm

    This is a vote of support to Ms U, it’s her site and she stated her feelings out of terrible mourning for a wonderful police officer shot down and now dead.

    It doesn’t make any difference how she displayed her anger and pain - she’s FED UP with uncivilized people taking advantage of our laws; cop killers, thieves, and their ilk..

    IMO it’s a hard fight law enforcment must have - just to keep the restraint for a thankless underpayed job as they risk their lives on a daily basis… As for the the Katrina victims that I dealt with, the majority were terrible, sad to say but true..

    This is My opinion of how I was treated as a volutneer. To this day I can’t believe it as it was so appauling - Working to help them as they entered our city. I had water bottles thrown back at myself simply because it wasn’t coke or pepsi.. I’ve been told I don’t want what you offer it’s not good enough and we are angry…
    Where is “my this, and where is my that”?? - right now!!!

    I’ve seen hard working VOLUNTEERS try to help and cursed upon to no end. It was amazing, as we thought we’d be welcomed in our effort to help out… NOT.. backfire, big time… A state away and it was all our fault… Excuse me for trying… At one point a bus pulled into a store only to have the majority mob fill it up and steal all they could. (visions of looting in NO) and now it had spread across the state lines into our communities.. A bit unsettling, wouldn’t you say?

    Law enforcement back up had to be called in and a decision was made to not arrest, lest a riot break out.. Just send them on to a larger city for our community COULDN’T HANDLE IT, it was too unsafe…

    Let’s just call it too damn bad, tough shit, that so many citizens that were helping developed “attitudes” when treated like dirt in their efforts to help … To this I say - Deal with it - reality does bite… And there is nothing worse than helping someone only to realize how freaking ungrateful they are… It is this type, in this catagory that Ms U refers to..

    I don’t see anywhere in her statements where she refers all of NO citizens, just the uncivilized ones, which obviously was encountered in GA…
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    booboo says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 12:08 pm

    Dogawful! Are you kidding me? An officer dies fighting crime and he’s a racist? How stupid are you? (a response to someone on the original post - Ms. U)

    The problem is the system. Stop giving them money!! They don’t buy food and diaper with that money. They get cable TV and spinner wheel for their cars. I think the gov. should stop welfare and raise salary for police officers, fire fighters and teachers.

    I live in Austin, TX and I was furious when the city decided to accept evacuees. Do you know how many homeless ppl we have in Austin? Why were they PAYING to get more of them?

    R.I.P. Officer Step
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    Fee says:

    July 5th, 2006 at 11:45 am

    I think that people need to start taking responsibility for their actions instead of always blaming law enforcement. I’m sorry for the death of a beloved officer.

    I think that America needs to get their households in order, I would have thought after 911 that we would come together as a nation and help each other and really get a sense of what it means to be an American. We have too many people who are taking whatever they can get and to hell with everyone else. And they think society owes them. JFK was the one who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Why is it our society doesn’t reflect that anymore?

    I really think it’s time to get our priorities in order. If we do not, then I dread what may come as a result of our selfish/evil actions.
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