Senseless, Sad

[Elspode]

The picture circulating on local news outlets shows a bedraggled, roadworn young man; still handsome and a bit boyish, but one who has seen better days. The picture is clearly a mug shot, testifying to the apparent downward spiral his life had taken since last we talked.

When he worked installing fireplaces for my employer, he was on a rebound...largely sober, reconciling with the mother of his young child, reliable and capable at the job he held. He always had a winning way, a certain charm that oozed through even the occasional hangover. He had worked for us in the past, before I came on board, but left to pursue another line of work. When it didn't pan out, he landed back with us, doing what he'd always done well, and making good money at it. His run with us came to an end one day when, while driving through Knobtown, a KCMO police officer pulled him over in our company truck because he had a flat rear dually...something one might not even notice if they were driving the box trucks we run.

That would have been no problem except that, when the officer asked him to step out of the truck, a cascade of beer cans rained out behind him. It was especially inconvenient for us when he was hauled off to jail, because we had to recover the truck on short notice before the police towed it. The friend that was riding with him had to find his own way home for himself, and for Todd's daughter, who, inexplicably, was also along for the repair run he was doing for us.

That didn't leave us much alternative but to let him go, but we still hired him as an independent contractor to service the last of our fireplace warranties as we got out of that part of the business. Every now and again, he'd come nosing around to see if there was any other opportunity for him on our staff. My boss liked him...everyone liked him. He just had that way about him.

We hadn't heard much from him for a while. You just assume that people have found some other way, and you hope for the best for them. What you don't expect to hear is that something catastrophic, shocking and painful has happened to them.

Early this morning, Todd Weber's difficult life came to an end when, following a low speed chase by police, he bailed out of his disabled vehicle, and fired a weapon at police officers. Four officers returned fire, and Todd died in the vicinty of 435 and Front St.

I pray he finds peace, and I am thankful that no one else was injured in his passing.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/kansas-city...z/-/index.html