Police encounters
De-escalation
Regarding “Gonzales fires deputy who killed unarmed black man” (Page A3, Saturday), I can remember several years ago when I was a police officer in Ohio, where strict regulations governed the use of force. I was taught never to take your weapon out of your holster unless you were legally justified in taking someone's life. I was 21 years old when I started my police career and of small stature: 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. Before I joined the police force, I expected to take some physical beatings by combatants; this was part of being a police officer.
I remember stopping for speeding a former nationally known professional heavyweight boxer more than three times my size. He stepped out of his car and confronted me. He was emotionally upset while profusely perspiring and clenching his fists to his sides. Yet, I never took a step backward in fear that he might punch me. I talked calmly to him for a few minutes, and then he settled down. I gave him a warning for speeding and he gave me a big thank you. No weapons drawn and no life taken.
Other police officers I worked with have also chosen not to use deadly force in some situations. One officer proficient in martial arts threw his numbchucks to the side when he had to subdue an uncooperative offender because he did not want to cause serious bodily harm.
In another incident, three officers were thrown off the porch of a house by two drunken individuals who were having a good time. To avoid using their weapons, the officers chose to return at a later time with an arrest warrant. By this time, the two combatants were sober and complied like gentlemen when they were arrested.
There are many other incidents I can list in which police officers chose not to take someone's life but instead chose to de-escalate the situation and use more restricted methods in subduing uncooperative individuals.
I believe that Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez was correct when he fired Deputy Cameron Brewer for taking the life of Danny Ray Thomas on March 22. It seems that the use of deadly force by some police officers in some situations has changed today. Some police officers need to embrace the old philosophy of not removing your weapon from your holster unless you are legally justified in taking someone's life. Kenneth Orr, Katy