I read the June 4 article about the girlfriend of the man from Standish in which she said that his being shot by the Gorham police was unnecessary. She is absolutely right.
From what’s been reported, had her boyfriend obeyed the law in the first place – or had he done what he was told by the police and not tried to flee so he could go to jail when it was convenient for himself – he would not have put himself, or her, in a position to be shot at.
Does she not understand that a 4,000-pound vehicle accelerating at an officer, or anyone, is a deadly force? The police did not set up the situation that got her boyfriend shot – he did.
Yes, it was totally unnecessary – but entirely his own fault.
I believe that whenever there is a police shooting, the person shot, or shot at, initiated the situation that brought the police to him. But no one wants to hold the perpetrator accountable for his own actions or failures to obey lawful instructions of the police. Sad, indeed.
Then they wonder why it is hard to recruit good men and women to become police officers today!
Gary Phillips
Wells
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