Readers React: Hey, CHP, beating is no way to save someone’s life

To the editor: It was very disturbing to read of the altercation between a California Highway Patrol officer and Marlene Pinnock. (“Civil rights groups to meet with CHP after highway altercation,” July 6)

In the 1970s and ‘80s, I was a certified occupational therapy assistant working in-patient hospital psychiatry. The staff was trained on the “take downs” to use when a patient became a danger to himself or others. Sometimes it would take several of us to subdue a patient.

When someone is out of control, there is very little one can do in the form of reason or a psychological approach. But in all the “take downs” that I assisted with or observed, never did a staff member physically assault a patient. We were taught that such an approach escalates the situation, injecting fear and panic. We were taught holds and moves, and they worked well to restrain someone. I repeat — never would any staff member dream of striking a patient, as the CHP officer did, no matter how violent he or she became.

Claire Zimmer, Palm Springs

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To the editor: Attorney Caree Harper, who represents the victim, emphasized the fact that her client is no different than any other human being, and that any of us might have been beaten by this officer. To make her point, Harper said of the victim: “She’s not just some animal. She has an aunt, a sister, a brother, a father and a great-grandchild.”

Harper probably did not mean to denigrate non-human animal life on our planet. Yet her words represent a widespread belief that beating “just some animal” is OK.

The truth is that animals are just like humans in this respect: When they are beaten, they suffer just like the victim of the Highway Patrol officer.

Steve Schlein, Venice