Deputy’s Death Was Senseless

* The citizens of Orange County have lost a caring and dedicated deputy sheriff. Deputy Brad Riches was murdered by a coward armed with an assault rifle.

The men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department have lost a great friend, partner and gentle giant.

When will the arming of society end?

When will police officers stop being murdered simply because of who they are and what they represent?

Only God knows the answer.

In the meantime, our sheriff, police chiefs and politicians must use common sense to find some of the answers to stop the killing of innocents by those armed with weapons of war.

RAY WERT

Santa Ana

* I knew Deputy Sheriff Brad Riches. He was a great guy. He was like one of those great big superhero action figures. He loved carpentry, woodworking and helping people. He saw me struggling with a purchase I made at Home Depot and took it home for me in his truck. He always did stuff like that.

I can’t believe the cowardly way in which he was murdered. I can’t believe I live in a society that lets nuts with “cop killer” AK-47s wander the streets under the insane excuse of some misinterpreted constitutional right.

To all you NRA nuts I say: Get a life. Race cars or something else to cover up for your inadequacies. It’s less obvious.

I applaud the L.A. Times editorial stand on sane gun control. Please keep up the good work. We don’t want to see any more pictures of our heroic sheriff’s deputies put up on that beautiful memorial wall that Brad made.

I want the rest of the deputies to know how much we appreciate and respect their daily heroic sacrifices. I hope we all stand with them as they honor Deputy Riches this week. Words cannot possibly express the sorrow they must be feeling at this time.

PAUL D. SWANSON

Mission Viejo