Five Finger Death Punch Writes Five Figure Check for Families of Fallen Officers

In a recent Facebook post, guitarist Zoltan Bathory wrote, “Unfortunately, every 58 hours a police officer who believes in something sacrifices everything and dies in the line of duty….We’ve had the privilege to work with veteran and police organizations for years….Our chosen charity – C.O.P.S. [Concerns Of Police Survivors] helps and benefits the families of our fallen heroes in blue….Today we are making this donation as a token of our respect and gratitude to those who committed to protect and serve, to those who signed up to bravely hold that thin blue line between ‘civilization as we know it’ and ‘lawless savagery and chaos.'”

“C.O.P.S. is grateful to be the recipient of such a generous donation from Five Finger Death Punch,” C.O.P.S. Executive Director Dianne Bernhard told Loudwire. “We not only appreciate their amazing musical talent, but their support for surviving families and co-workers of America’s law enforcement truly sets them apart. Thank you on behalf of over 47,000 survivors!”

The Concerns of Police Survivors organization provides peer support, scholarship opportunities, children’s camps, counseling services, and support through trial and parole processes.  The organization also hosts a yearly conference and provides training for law enforcement agencies on how to respond to the loss of a fellow officer.

In June, Bathory announced that the heavy metal band planned to donate a portion of ticket proceeds from their “And Justice for None” tour to the organization.

“On this next tour, we are donating a portion from every ticket sold to an organization called C.O.P.S.,” Bathory told Loudwire at the time. “Basically, it’s for the families of fallen police officers.”

“I personally look at [the police] and think they are special people who deserve the respect and I don’t know that the general population understands what they go through,” the Hungarian-born guitarist explained. “I feel that they are not getting the respect that they deserve.

“Realistically, we’re not living in a world where everybody’s got flowers and smiling and are peaceful or [singing] ‘Kumbaya,’’ he said. “So, for those who realize this is not reality, you have to accept that each city has a police force, and they are really that thin blue line, that thin layer of ice on a deep ocean of f–king chaos, and savagely things can happen to them.”

Bathory commended those who have chosen to protect and serve, even when some members of society fail to recognize their sacrifices.

“These guys, they go to work and realize they might not come home. They sign up for that and that is respectable,” Bathory said.