The Victims of Police Pursuits

Our readers wrote letters throughout 1989 expressing their viewpoints on a variety of issues. Here are condensed versions of some of those letters. We appreciate their taking the time to share their viewpoints and look forward to hearing from more of them in 1990.

We were very saddened to read about the tragic deaths of Jessica Warren and Dawn Hammond, victims of the police pursuit on Christmas morning.

We were saddened not only because we know of the sorrow of the family and friends but also because the circumstances might have been prevented had a jury voted to find the Costa Mesa police guilty in their pursuit of Ruben Valle on Dec. 12, 1984. We believe that the “not guilty” decision gave a green light to Orange County law enforcement that hot pursuits will be condoned or even encouraged at the expense of an innocent public.

It was our son and brother, along with Billy Dearing, who lost their lives as innocent victims Dec. 12, 1984. We were outraged then and are outraged now that hot pursuits still claim the lives of the innocent.

KEITH WILLIAMSON

SHARON WILLIAMSON

MERRITT WILLIAMSON

DEIDRE WILLIAMSON

Costa Mesa