Police Killing of Tyisha Miller

Is anyone in the African American community shocked at the decision of the Riverside County district attorney not to file criminal charges against any of the officers involved in the shooting of 19-year-old Tyisha Miller (May 7)? This decision was a foregone conclusion from the minute this killing happened. These officers have such low regard for black people that our lives are not as meaningful as those of other races.

We say that we are stopped in numbers disproportionate to our number in the population, but we are told that the state will not require police to show statistics. We say that we are taken to jail for crimes that others are cited for or warned, and we are told that isn’t true, even though we provide numbers to back it up. Now a young woman sleeping or injured in her car receives help by being killed after some fool decides to smash a window over her head. When she does what anyone would do when so startled, she is killed. When will it end?

MICHAEL MILLS

Long Beach

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Holy Rodney King! No offense to the good Rev. Bernell Butler, but the officers who shot Miller were not racist, they were incompetent. It does not take much time to come up with three or four other ways to defuse such a situation. Why not cordon off the area and try a little patience; run the plate, contact the family, get some information? It is wise to plan a way out before you dig the hole.

If an officer feels that the only way to solve a problem is blunt force, then that person is either not qualified to be a peace officer or was not properly trained.

DAN JENSEN

San Clemente

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Why is it when suspects brandish weapons at the police, people fail to see this for what it is: a dangerous situation. If I were a cop, I would be very concerned when a weapon is involved. Why did Miller have a gun?

I feel the police wanted to try and help her, otherwise they would have done nothing (if they had, they would have been called “racist” for not doing enough). We need to stop second-guessing the police so quickly and publicly, especially for political agendas. Next time, a well-meaning cop might be too afraid of “political persecution” and let a bystander, officer or suspect die for nothing.

STEVE STELTER

Lawndale