Pubdate: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 Source: Pensacola News Journal (FL) Copyright: 2003 The Pensacola News Journal Contact: http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1675 Author: Stephen Heath NOTHING TO FEAR Police officer Michael DeLay tells News Journal readers that criticism of police shootings is too often knee-jerk and unwarranted. He cites an example wherein he came close to harm when an apparently innocent bystander assaulted him during a traffic stop. The inference is that such encounters give police similar justification for violence against unarmed citizens. What he ignores is that criticism from the ACLU and others against police is not unwarranted if we also consider the many stories where cops assault or kill unarmed citizens. In the past decade police from Los Angeles to New York City and many points in between have killed citizens in drug raids to wrong addresses; on simple marijuana busts; and in the worst cases, direct murder with a dropped weapon provided by self-same police. Refer to www.hr95.org/Memorial.html for just a partial summary of citizens killed by police. As long as police nationwide in towns as (relatively) small as Pensacola continue to arm their officers with SWAT gear, automatic rifles and other military hardware citizens would be foolish to not thoroughly investigate every violent encounter between police and civilians. If the police actions are warranted, officers have nothing to fear from such scrutiny. STEPHEN HEATH Public Relations Director Drug Policy Forum of Florida Clearwater - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)