These Officers Should Be Hailed as Heroes

Re “Police Kill Teenager, Wound Bystander,” Jan. 28:

I read in dismay about the reactions of two people who criticized the Santa Ana police. The first comment comes from Marcella Cervantess: “I don’t understand how they can shoot that guy in front of all those kids.” What would you have liked them to do? Call time out and ask the bad guy who is shooting at them if they could take this somewhere else or maybe let the bad guy continue to shoot and risk even more lives?

The second comment is even more difficult for me to understand. Gloria Mendoza says, “We have children and we don’t feel that the police do much to protect us.”

Let me get this straight. The police are on patrol. They see a boy and know that part of his probation was that he should not be in your neighborhood. This sounds like protecting your children to me. The police stop to question the boy, who then runs and opens fire on the police.

Those brave officers who risked their lives trying to protect this neighborhood should be looked up to as heroes. These officers are just like all those before them and those who succeed them who are willing to die to protect and serve.

Curt Hanson

Orange