Police shouldn’t be investigating police

By Letter to the Editor on July 21, 2021.

Editor:
With regard to the article in the Herald dated July 15 clearing police of any misconduct dealing with the storm trooper incident:
I view this incident a little different than our police chief and the Medicine Hat police. We still have police investigating police.
The brothers in blue are going to protect each other regardless of location.
When the Lethbridge police got the 911 call about a person with a firearm they didn’t know what they were going to encounter.
The police drew their weapons not pointing them at the storm trooper and ordered the storm trooper to drop the weapon and get down on the ground.
The article states that the storm trooper dropped the weapon and got down on her knees.
With the storm trooper on her knees and no longer in possession of a weapon, the threat of harm to the police or the public was removed. It was obvious that the person in the storm trooper costume had very little chance of escape.
With the weapon not in possession of the storm trooper and having her on her knees and the police behind her taking off her helmet, the police had complete control of the situation.
Why was it necessary to push her face to the ground giving her a bloody nose? This is what is called excessive force.
We have a new police chief but it appears nothing has really changed. The new chief has nice words but actions don’t seem to go with the words.
Police are still investigating police. Misconduct taking as much as four years to be dealt with is unacceptable.
The majority of police do a great job and I’m thankful they are there when needed. The incidents I write about are what is portrayed in the media.
I was not on the scene to witness any incident so could be out of line and am willing to be corrected.
Doug Neal
Lethbridge