ER Letters: Joseph Humble should not have passed judgment
by Robert Wenzel, 4/20/2006
Dear Editor,
This is in response to the letter by Dr. Joseph Humble printed April 16, 2006, regarding the police shooting of Cheri Moore.
Dr. Humble, I am so very tired of people like you, passing judgment on law enforcement without having any knowledge of what actually happened.
Were you there with the SWAT team when it entered the apartment? No? Then how can you say the officers were not justified in the use of lethal force?
Would you be willing to take a close-range shot to the chest or head from a flare gun?
Do you have any experience or training in law enforcement? How many times have you put your life in harm’s way to protect the public, apprehend a dangerous criminal or resolve a life-threatening situation?
Have you ever dealt with a violent, mentally ill person? Have you ever tried to reason with a violent mentally ill person who was off of their meds? If you have not, then you have no right to pass judgment on the police officers risking their lives to protect the public.
You should be thankful that they are there 24 hours a day to protect you and the rest of the public, even the ones who don’t appreciate them.
Dr. Humble, for your information, the decision to use lethal force is one that, most often, must be made in a fraction of a second by the officer(s) involved in that situation. Tell me, how long would you ponder that decision with a weapon pointed at you?
This was a tragic situation and I feel for the family and friends of Cheri Moore.
I also feel for the officer, or officers, who had to make the decision to use lethal force.
And thank you to all the law-enforcement and correctional officers who protect the public every day.
Robert Wenzel
Eureka
Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.
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