Letters to the Editor: There is no excuse for Compton deputy shooting, nor for reporter’s arrest in the aftermath

To the editor: Arresting the KPCC reporter is a symptom of a broader malady in America that deals with consent of the governed and policing. The arrest surely resulted from reactions by sheriff’s personnel to the ambush shooting of two comrades that very day. I can sympathize with their feelings of anger, fear, hurt and so much more. But I cannot justify or excuse it.

I can also imagine that the ugly criminal who did the shooting had emotions that they thought justified the ambush. That cannot be excused or justified either. The shooter must be brought to justice. But more importantly we all must stand down and de-escalate.

We the people delegate armed authority to our police agencies to ensure our safety. That places a tremendous responsibility and trust on the police agencies. A fundamental re-imagining needs to take place. It needs to start today.

The Sheriff’s Department can truly address excess force and the way in which they go about providing public safety and law enforcement. The community needs to hold the department to those challenges and it needs to give change a chance and reason to happen. If we fail to make such fundamental changes, the future is easy to predict. Law enforcement officers are already outgunned and outnumbered. They need to swiftly earn moral authority to enforce the law, for their own sake and for civilians’ sake.

Stephen Galvin, Simi Valley

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To the editor: The senseless “protesters” outside St. Francis Medical Center on Saturday night should be condemned by every right-thinking human being. Chanting “we hope they die” while two deputies fight for their lives and their anguished loved ones can do nothing but wait and pray is inhuman and unforgivable.

They had a right to express their opinions, but lacked the intelligence and common sense to realize that they were wrong on every level. The Black Lives Matter movement will only achieve the reforms we need with widespread, diverse community support. This kind of hateful display will not allow that to develop. Those people were not protesters, they were agitators bent on creating more violence and destruction. Community, political, religious and civic leaders must strongly condemn these heartless individuals.

Terry Walker, Sylmar

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To the editor: There is no excuse for handling a member of the press in this manner for doing her job. I have no doubt that that this was an act to intimidate members of the press and the public.

When leadership lies about the circumstances, we should not be surprised about the presence of gangs in the Sheriff’s Department. Trust, support and respect for officers will not come from such misapplied force.

I am sorry that a person shot and gravely wounded the deputies. I do hope they recover fully and return whole to their families. I also hope Ms. Huang recovers fully from her injuries from this unprovoked attack.

Jo Ann Dawson, Northridge