In response to a letter about "police should call you in to disarm the suspect". I find that statement as well as others in that same letter to be incredulously naive.
First of all, the police are professionally trained to de-esculate, de-esculate de-esculate, and if this fails then to take more steps as necessary, the last resort being to taser, and then lethal force only when the danger is extremely grave. Most of us are neither GI Joes neither Ninjas nor professionally trained in police work. To suggest or even to entertain the idea of the general public to "be called in by the police" or "jump in" in any situation is just plain dumb.
The writer goes on that an armed suspect being "highly agitated and brandishing a weapon" is a license for police to taser or shoot. My God, have we become a Third World republic police state? I do hope our police are above this mentality of quick license to last resort tasering or lethal force. I do hope they will use and be encouraged to use their professional skills with due diligence.
A weapon in the hands of a child? This opens many more questions than just the "who in the right mind of taking a chance of being sliced" no matter the age of the child. This is an 11-year-old. What about a 5-year-old? Surely some common sense should prevail. Let's wait for Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond on this one.
The question of "not a model citizen" in a group home. I find this statement very offensive and going beyond the pale. All those responsible in his care all share that blame. The 11-year-old is the result of some very bad choices or no choices at all of those who are/were in his life. Why curse this 11-year-old as a scapegoat to the miserable failing of his lifelong caregivers, parents and others.
Back to the original question, just how dangerous is an 11-year-old brandishing a knife? Something failed here, be it lacking of training, bad information, a seemed culture of taser first as the original writer pointed out. I, as a citizen, want honest answers.
Paul Hudyma
Prince George
