Eyewitnesses to Crimes

* Re “Haste in a Murder’s Aftermath,” editorial, July 18:

It is true that the police are eager to make an arrest after the commission of a serious crime, especially the brutal murder of another officer. However, you missed some very important points. It was not the officers’ fault that only a limited description of the suspect was initially disseminated, or that after detaining Young Ho Choi, several witnesses identified him as the shooter of CHP Officer Don Burt.

As police officers, we must often rely upon the memories of witnesses to criminal acts. Sometimes, the recollections and descriptions obtained by civilian witnesses are wrong. The law, in fact, requires that witnesses be admonished not to prejudge a suspect on the mere fact that he or she is in the custody. We do not encourage them to make a hasty decision based on stereotypes, race or bias. We simply ask them if they can either identify or eliminate the person who is detained as the possible suspect. When a citizen identifies the person who is in custody as a suspect, it is then our duty to take appropriate action, which is most situations would result in an arrest.

Perhaps it is the citizenry who need “better training” so as not to wrongly identify someone, not the officers, as you suggest.

JACE KESSLER

LAPD