Letters to the Editor: Police need to figure out a way not to kill people who scare them

To the editor: Law enforcement needs to come up with something better than death as their primary self-defense tool.

One of the South Pasadena police officers who was exonerated in the death of actress Vanessa Marquez said he was “scared out of his mind” when he saw her point what he thought was a handgun at him but turned out to be BB gun. I have never seen or heard of a case where a citizen was exonerated for killing a police officer on the same grounds.

However, I am sure that like me, many other citizens are “scared out of our minds” by the prospect of having to interact with officers who so easily and “legally” take the lives of those who are not in uniform.

Art Meneses, Menifee

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To the editor: I don’t understand how a wellness check turned into suicide by cop. Marquez was not well and obviously needed help, but even if the officers thought she had a real gun, why did they feel compelled to shoot her?

This looked like a job for a family member or a social worker, not police. Cops need to pass on putting bullets into anyone they can’t handle.

Janice Belsky, Encino