Due to bad decisions

I read more than one story of a young person being shot by police. This is something that is happening in states and communities all over our nation and it is usually followed by an outcry of how unjust the shooting was. However, in almost every story there is a common theme: The person stopped by the police became combative and was resisting. Or they sped off and were then involved in a high-speed chase, endangering themselves, the officers in pursuit and the general public.

What I find most disturbing about this is the fact that in almost every case, there is a lack of compliance on the part of the person being detained. How many times would a more cooperative demeanor have prevented a fatal incident? I also believe the press coverage of such incidents is partly to blame. Never in any of the articles is there a mention that had the person only been respectful and cooperative there would have been no struggle with the police, no reason to use a taser, no reason to pull a gun.

When someone struggles with police or becomes combative and uncooperative, the stress level is immediately heightened, and that is when things can go wrong. If we can’t help our young people understand the difference between good and bad decisions, we are going to continue to see senseless violence and loss of lives due to bad choices. For that to happen, we should not ignore what led to the fatal outcome in the first place and address it for what it is: bad decisions.

CAROL METZGER

Sherwood