Questions of fairness and justice
Re “Officer Not Charged in Death of Teenager,” Dec. 6
By not prosecuting Los Angeles Police Officer Steve Garcia in the death of Devin Brown, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley showed the common sense and courage that Garcia’s LAPD bosses have not.
Despite the LAPD’s Hollywood-style re-creation of the shooting, and in direct contrast to The Times’ description of Brown as an “unarmed 13-year-old,” Cooley saw the shooting for what it was -- an officer making a split-second decision to defend himself from a driver armed with a multi-ton weapon.
And predictably, some black community leaders rose up in protest over Cooley’s decision. They won’t be satisfied until Garcia’s head is delivered to them on a platter -- all evidence supporting his innocence be damned.
JIM VALENCIA
Chino Hills
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