Police Had to React

* I read with disgust about the shooting of Jose Manuel Rios by the Huntington Beach police. (“Police, Family Differ on Details of Fatal Shooting,” Oct. 1.) The disgust is caused [because people] should know that sawed-off shotguns are illegal in this state.

It’s quite obvious to me that these two officers doing their jobs were confronted by Mr. Rios and his cousin in a dark alley after shots were fired. To me, this is a life-or-death situation for the two officers. Do we as a people expect our officers to wait until one of them is shot to death before they are expected to react? I think not.

If Mr. Rios had not bought the shotgun or brought it to the alley in the first place, this incident would not have happened. I have one question, who was Mr. Rios going to shoot with that shotgun?

TONY BARONE

Huntington Beach