No room for special treatment
Published 10:06 pm Thursday, March 3, 2011
To the editor:
While reading the article about the retired Suffolk police officer who shot the guy in the head, something didn’t seem right about the story that was being told by him and his wife.
He was sleep in the recliner downstairs because of surgery. His wife came down to tell him someone was trying to steal the dog box. She went into another room, raised the window and yelled to leave the box alone.
He got his weapon and went to the living room window; it took several seconds, because of his surgery. He then propped his foot on a stool, raised the window and yelled, “Leave the box alone! Come from behind the truck, and lie on the ground.
He said the guy looked nervous and was looking around and dove into the truck and he worried the man might go for a weapon, so he shot the windshield once.
How much time transpired through this whole ordeal? Did anyone think to call 911?
Can someone want a dog box so badly that even though two people at two different times yelled at him, he’s would still try to take it? Or was he trying to get away? Was anyone’s life in danger? Doesn’t something seem wrong with this story?
Evidently someone bought it, though, because no charges were filed. How strange.
Another former police officer was busted for possession of marijuana. He was released on a summons to ¬appear in court. No bail was set. How many people do you know who get busted for drugs and then released on a summons?
Also, I thought the message was GUN + DRUGS = JAIL.
You would think that as an ex-police officer, he had a gun. I’m just saying it’s something to think about. If the situation were the same for a different person, would the outcome still be the same?
Police officer number three, charged with making threatening phone calls, is on administrative duty, still getting paid by the citizens of Suffolk. I know he’s innocent until proven guilty, but why should we pay him while he’s seeking to prove his innocence?
All I’m saying is whether you’re an ex-police officer, a current police officer, a prosecutor, a judge, a secretary, a waiter or an ordinary citizen, it shouldn’t matter what your status is.
Everyone who breaks the law should go through the same procedure as anybody else, there should be no special decisions made because of who you are or what you use to be. Whatever protocol exists should be followed.
Lynn Manley
Suffolk