Assault by Police

This letter is in reference to the article entitled “Officer’s Testimony Puts Him on Trial With His Peers” (Sept. 30).

The provocative article tells the shocking tale of an honest cop being persecuted and ostracized by his fellow officers because he testified against two officers he witnessed assault a handcuffed suspect. It seems others in the department feel that the subsequent guilty verdict by a jury will set a bad precedent, making the officers fearful of aggressively fighting crime.

Excuse my ignorance, I was unaware police could not fight crime without committing assault. The thought of police being judge and jury in the street is alarming to say the least. The “others in the department” also feel that, since the two convicts will be demoted, they will no longer do some of the work they are “best trained” to perform. Obviously, this so-called training is neither best or sufficient. These men broke the law. A law they had sworn to uphold. This act makes these two men no better than the criminals they try to apprehend.

The treatment of Sgt. Don Berstler by the officers he works with proves the need for civilian review and restructure of the organization in which we place so much trust.

Because we the people place so much trust in these women and men, we have every right to expect a higher standard of conduct. After all, we give these people the power of deadly force.

To his credit, Sgt. Don Berstler (a 22-year police veteran) must have known how the good old boy club would treat him after he had the gall to testify. He still had the guts to do what was right. Unfortunately, he is the exception to the rule.

D.L. FLETCHER

Solana Beach