¶ … actions by the police in the incident involving the killing of a mountain lion were shortsighted and demonstrated a lack of leadership and good judgment. The needless killing of the animal proves that the police used excessive violence in dealing with the problem and the justification for the killing was not satisfactory.
The most important question to ask in this case is why didn't the police simply apply more patience to the situation? The early morning hours when this problem occurred suggests that no person was in any significant danger, and this is further backed up by the fact that the news media was so close during the brutal filming of the incident. The need to rush was a misjudgment and the police are suffering the PR backlash that they most likely deserve.
While it is easy to criticize when mistakes are made, a solution to this problem was quite evident. Shooting the lion with the tranquilizer would have provided the police a good first step in trapping the animal and if the lion did attack after it was shot with a tranquilizer, then the appropriate response would have been to shoot the animal with their bullets. The people of this town are right to complain.
This problem is a continuation of the leadership issues within the police department. Many mistakes and errors have happened in the recent past and this action reveals the depths of the problems. The shoot first, ask questions later attitude that is being demonstrated by the police suggests that the city as a collective needs to take a deeper look at the practices and policies of the police force.
It is our responsibility as a collective society to keep our police and government workers in check to prevent these abuses of power. The police work for us, the people. Us in the media also play an important role in keeping the police accountable for their actions by exposing their problems. As the video and pictures of the lion continue to circulate, it should stand as a reminder to all of us, that patience is a virtue.
