Pubdate: Sat, 14 Nov 1998
Date: 11/14/1998
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Author: Jim McMahon

I take great offense to District Attorney Johnny B. Holmes' statement,
"If it's OK to kill a guy dead, it is OK to kill him dead, dead, dead"
(Chronicle, Nov. 5).

I understand that deadly force can be used when police have
reasonable cause to believe someone is in imminent danger. But if
someone is dead or incapacitated, there is no imminent danger. A
gravely wounded man, lying on the floor with a gun in his hand, could
pose a continuing threat to police, but that has not been alleged in
the Pedro Oregon Navarro case. What Holmes' statement condones is
using a man who presents no immediate threat for target practice.

Jim McMahon,
Houston