Police Too Eager to Pull the Trigger
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The police explanation of why Sgt. Daniel Christian shot and killed his SWAT teammate James Jensen Jr. is hardly reassuring: that he “mistook his partner for a suspected drug dealer.” So, obviously, it is perfectly acceptable to kill suspected drug dealers or, perhaps, suspects in general.
It is this attitude, and the readiness to kill, that caused the death of Jensen. The Oxnard police SWAT team in this predawn raid was poised and primed to blast anything that moved and this is exactly what Sgt. Christian did when he fired repeatedly into the smoky darkness. Unfortunately for him the movement he shot at was his partner Jensen, who had just thrown a grenade in order to provoke some reaction by the suspects.
It is time to stop the irresponsible and unnecessary use of SWAT teams and similar heavy-handed anti-terrorist tactics in routine civilian law enforcement. And it is time for the police to tone down their eagerness to kill.
KENT CARROLL
NAS Point Mugu
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