The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

Police shoot to live, not to kill. It is obvious from the conduct of criminals that they do not care if their target is armed or unarmed. Most of the victims being shot and murdered are unarmed. The criminals expect the Police to be armed and when confronted will shoot to kill.

Police officers in-the-line-of-fire or attempting to arrest the armed culprits must decide to return fire even when the armed culprits are running away and firing at the Police Officers in hot pursuit. It is one of those times when there could be a shot in the back. There are others. Police Officers exposed to gun violence of this kind have to decide if their lives are in danger. That decision is theirs, no reporter, politician or anyone else.

They are on the scene and it is their lives at stake. It is why the FBI and other Forces train their Officers in such instances to aim for the upper mass of the body. This eradicates the danger. One has to be a likely victim to know the feeling when a criminal gun is pointed towards you, even after telling him to drop it. You have just three seconds to decide, who is going to the morgue. There are three occasions when I survived encounters of this nature. On one occasion another man died, on another three bullets went through the canvas where former ACP Lawrence Major was seated and my encounter with “Mong” in St James Road who was wanted for two rapes. He tried to take my issued firearm from me and died in the effort. During those seconds the Policeman thinks of his family and the marching band behind him. The reporters, politicians and others must await the Coroner’s Inquest when they can provide evidence they may have that would be important to the inquiry.

It is my hope, that our Police Officers will continue to perform with the distinction as they are and do not allow the noise in the market to deter them against protecting themselves and us against the prevalent gun violence.

PAUL THOMPSON

Nassau

May, 2019