Officers Have Right to Save Their Lives

Don’t people think police officers have the right to shoot someone who is trying to kill them?

For example, the incident in Fountain Valley reported March 18 (“Shooting Victim’s Kin Criticize Police”). A suspect is running from a crime; the suspect tries to kill two police officers at the scene by accelerating his vehicle and trying to run them down; the officers shoot the suspect; the suspect dies.

The nephew of the suspect wants to know why the officers could not have pulled him from the vehicle.

Well, come on, does he think it is possible to pull someone from a speeding car while the car is trying to kill them? And what does it matter if the suspect was armed with a handgun? The deadly weapon was the vehicle he tried to kill the officers with.

The mother of the suspect says, “This is too little (a matter) to kill my son.” Well, I’m sorry, trying to kill a police officer is not a little matter. In fact, it is a matter much too large to describe.

Several innocent officers have been killed in recent months, and they have families too. I’m tired of reading about and watching funerals of police officers who were murdered.

If someone has the desire to try and murder an officer, I think the officer has the right to do anything to save his life.

LILLIAN BEICHER

Laguna Hills