Path: utzoo!lsuc!ncrcan!aimed!nick
From: nick@aimed.UUCP (Nick Pemberton)
Newsgroups: tor.general
Subject: Re: Toronto Police
Summary: Misconception is the biggest problem
Keywords: Presumption of Innocence & "Criminals"
Message-ID: <165@aimed.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jan 89 17:57:39 GMT
References: <157@aimed.UUCP> <4674@hcr.UUCP> <1989Jan20.201648.20385@lsuc.uucp>
Distribution: tor
Organization: AIM, Inc, Toronto, Ontario
Lines: 44

In article <1989Jan20.201648.20385@lsuc.uucp>, sean@lsuc.uucp (Sean Doran the Younger) writes:
> In article <4674@hcr.UUCP> paulg@hcrvax.UUCP (Paul Gooderham) wrote:
> > - a knife weilding man rushes a policeman who then shoots the man.  
> > - the youthful driver of a known stolen car tries to run down two 
> >   policemen and ends up shot
> >In both these cases currently popular in the press, the criminal 
> >is trying to kill the policeman and the policeman strikes back.
> 
[well-written explanation deleted (tossing 'verbiage', as news likes to
 call it)]
>   
> >But if the men had just followed 
> >police instructions, they would be alive to whine for themselves 
> >today.
> 
> If the Police had followed proper procedure, and behaved in a lawful
> and professional manner, the two victims would be alive to-day,
> and both would probably soon find themselves in a very nasty
> prison after being charged and found guilty of attempted murder
> or at least assault with a deadly weapon.
> 

Here is something that is only becoming clear to me through this discussion:
no where has it been stated, in the media, what the facts in these
particular cases are. That, I suppose, is what really bothers me: it is
likely that in any organization there will be members who do not follow
'the rules', as may be the case with the police force. However, the impression
one gets from the media coverage is that the police have widespread
problems, rather then rare, isolated problems. What is the real situation?
Is it, as I suspect, that there are small, isolated problems, or is there
a much larger problem.

In the same breath (ok keystroke), I should point out that I am not trying
to belittle the anguish the families involved must go through in these cases.
It is a difficult problem, but it is one which I would have hoped the media
could have handled in a more responsible manner. Almost reminds me of
election coverage, but that is another thread....

Nick
-- 

Nick Pemberton                   UUCP: !{utzoo,utai}!lsuc!aimed!nick
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