Shame on you. Your insinuation that the officer involved in the shooting on May 31, acted out of some type of racial animus is appalling. [Race and traffic stops, Dan Haley, Viewpoints, July 22]. I retired as a Patrol Commander with the Oak Park Police Department after 29 years of service, and I can help explain some of your questions.
I know the 24-hour gas stations at Austin and Harrison are “Directed Patrol” areas. Maybe the vehicle’s sudden turn into the gas station drew the officer’s attention? Your contention that the officer was looking for a Black motorist to stop just for “driving while Black” is loathsome.
I was involved in a shooting in 2002. When asked how many rounds I fired, I guessed four. It was eight. In response to the nine rounds in question, I’m sure the officer couldn’t tell you how many rounds he fired. Adrenaline is a powerful thing. I believe he fired until the offender stopped. And that required nine rounds.
You ask why would the officer fire his weapon in the direction of Austin Boulevard? Because the offender was there, with a handgun, and he was a bigger threat to motorists and pedestrians.
What about shots to the back? My response is “So what?” This isn’t a Western movie; this isn’t pistols at 10 paces. This is a real-life deadly threat. Ask the Reddins family about armed offenders.
Finally, you state that a policy review over “bogus” traffic stops is long overdue. And Oak Park has a long history of stopping Blacks disproportionate to their population numbers: the reason must surely be racism.
I think you would do well to simply acknowledge that police officers are ordinary people asked to do extraordinary work under unbelievably stressful and dangerous circumstances. The constant bashing and allegations of racism undermine the trust and respect required for the police mission to be successful.
Finally, Christian Wallace should still be alive, but it was not racism that killed him. It was his own poor decisions.
John Curtin
Retired Commander, OPPD
Alsip