Wednesday, April 24, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
These officers in Riverside did not pick these illegal immigrants out of a crowd and simply beat them for the fun of it. These "poor, innocent, helpless" people were felons fleeing from the pursuing officers who are paid to apprehend and win a fight when confronted with noncompliant people who violate the law that everyone must obey. The use of force is and always has been the only way for a police officer to subdue a noncompliant subject.
I ask the people of America: What other means do you think would have been appropriate to apprehend a fleeing felon who purposely disobeys a lawful order of a police officer? Why are the police equipped with all these tools of apprehension if they are continually criticized for using them when they need to and depending on them for a safe and effective means of apprehension?
The information age has certainly informed us of issues that we have no qualification nor background to judge upon. If this trend continues, we may scare our police officers into a passive, nonreactive type of public servant in the name of self-preservation. Let's stop this silly game we are playing with our hard-working police officers and start backing them and giving them the support they need and deserve.
Mark Chaparian
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