Letter: Three officers in shooting were performing lawful duty

Tuesday, March 4, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

In this list of "Alleged Misconduct," you list three officers (Kirk Hamblin, George Pease and Edward Jones) who were involved in using deadly force in the performance of their lawful duties.

All of these officers were cleared in their actions, and I think you were wrong by including them in your list.

Being a retired police officer with more than 20 years of service, I spent a great deal of my career in the firearms-training field. I can attest that taking someone's life in the performance of duty is a very traumatic experience. Even when the officers' actions are justified, I have still seen their lives destroyed by these incidents. Almost 80 percent of police officers involved in fatal shootings leave the law enforcement profession within two years of that shooting.

The officers involved have to deal with all the moral, religious and ethical implications of their actions. This, in itself, is a heavy load to carry. Combine that with facing the legal system, and departmental investigations sometimes become overwhelming.

For you to include these three officers on your list only added to the burden that they must bear.

They did nothing wrong and were found to be performing their duties in a correct and lawful manner. I feel that your reporters should have been more selective in determining the difference between police misconduct and the justifiable use of deadly force in the performance of duty.

Anthony Dee