They are all just as guilty
Published:Tuesday | August 10, 2010 | 12:00 AM
The Editor, Sir:
While the community of Buckfield celebrates the 'heroism' of the policeman who shot 'Chen-Singh' as he lay on the ground, and lament the death of the woman he stabbed to death, they all forget that neither party needed to die.
The entire community "knew" the man was a nuisance, they "knew" he was breaking into peoples' places, they "knew" he was violent. So, when did they report him to the police and what was done before the latest controversial incident happened? He was recently out of jail, but who reported the recent problems? One person even stated, it was a matter of time before he killed someone.
In my view, the residents of Buckfield are all guilty for the death of the woman, and to ease their guilt, they goaded a policeman to solve the problem by shooting a man. The latest is that the man had a broken bottle in his hand and was a threat.
Have our police no training in how to disarm a person? As police officers, have they not signed on to risk their own safety to protect others? Where was the risk to the policeman who stood back while others beat at the man with batons, then circled and shot him?
A nuisance, a 'coke head', a criminal, a murderer, has been removed, great! But it just didn't have to happen like this.
I am, etc.,
ROBIN BATSON