Sherman Block

Sheriff Sherman Block, in his report of Sept. 10, attempts to clear deputies of wrongdoing in the raid of Donald Scott’s ranch. This was clearly the right action to take in that the deputies were only protecting their own lives. However, our brilliant sheriff completely misses the point in his report. The superior officers, ordering the raid, should be the villains facing severe penalties.

Twenty-five or so officers and seven agencies participated in the raid during the early morning hours. Allegedly, the only suspected contraband was being grown on the premises outside of the residence. There should not have been concern of evidence being destroyed within the home, if there was no information as to such. A bullhorn could have been used to force exit of persons within, thereby avoiding a reasonably foreseeable, dangerous situation.

RICHARD W. STEGMAN

West Los Angeles

* So Sheriff Block has concluded that millionaire Malibu rancher Donald Scott’s death was justified. One would have to be incredibly naive to believe that any other conclusion would come forth from Block.

Scott was in his own house, legally armed, and reacting to the sudden commotion of intruders bursting into his home. What’s he supposed to do? What wrong did he commit?

The DEA and Block’s bottom line is: Take our word for it--there were drugs on the ranch. One only needs to remember the record number of successful misconduct lawsuits and proven corruption in the Sheriff’s Department during the last five years and say, “Yeah, right.”

PHILLIP RICHELLE

Hawthorne