Mr. Mayor: Every Day, Our Police Officers

¶ … Mr. Mayor:

Every day, our police officers put their lives on the line to defend law-abiding citizens. It is imperative that a police officer's judgment is trusted, so officers can with full confidence perform their duties and know that they will not be 'second-guessed' when they act in good faith. In this instance, the officer was pursuing a suspect who was apparently armed and dangerous. Given the circumstances of the situation, it was reasonable for him to believe that the suspect was holding a gun. The suspect was behaving in an aggressive and threatening manner. The officer in question did not 'shoot to kill,' but shot to disarm the suspect instead. He had a responsibility not only to his own safety but to preserve the safety of his fellow officers and the safety of the community, as part of his duties.

In this instance, it was fortunate that the officer was not in any danger. However, given the suspect's behavior and the lighting of the area, the police officer could not have determined that what the suspect was holding was a toy gun. The gun was black and silver, and not obviously 'fake' (i.e., plastic or brightly-colored). The officer did not shoot to kill, even though he could have reasonably feared his life to be in danger.

Given these circumstances, I know that you will find the officer's actions to be reasonable and in keeping with his appropriate duties as a member of the force.

Yours truly,

Chief of Police X

Dear Mr. Mayor:

I am the defense attorney for the suspect in the much-publicized shooting of several days ago. My client was accused of robbing and beating a woman. No alleged use of a gun was involved in the robbery. When the officer confronted my client, he claims that he saw my client holding an object later identified as a toy gun. The officer claims that this toy appeared to be a real gun. Given the officer's experience, and the evidently false nature of the toy, this seems patently absurd. The officer reacted with force and shot my client in the shoulder.