PROSECUTOR BACKS COMMENTS CALLING SLAIN MEN 'BUMS'

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis County's prosecutor stands behind his comments
describing as "bums" two men fatally shot by a police officer and
federal drug agent last year outside a restaurant.

Robert McCulloch offered the characterization Wednesday, when a U.S.
attorney said federal investigators lack sufficient evidence to
charge the police officer and Drug Enforcement Administration agent
with civil rights violations in the deaths of the drug suspect and
his friend.

Now criticized by some lawyers over his choice of words, McCulloch
said he doesn't regret them.

"The print media and self-anointed activists have been portraying the
two gentlemen as folk heroes and have been vilifying the police,"
McCulloch told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think it is important
for the public to know that these two and others like them for years
have spread destruction in the community dealing crack cocaine and
heroin."

"The entire tragedy could have been avoided" if Earl Murray -- the
suspect -- had surrendered, McCulloch said. Murray and a passenger ,
Ronald Beasley, were shot to death during an attempted drug arrest at
a Jack in the Box restaurant in June 2000.

Report Clears Police

On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Raymond Gruender publicly presented
results of a yearlong investigation that said it uncovered nothing to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt DEA agent Keith Kierzkowski and St.
Louis County police drug task force Detective Robert Piekutowski
"fired with a bad purpose."

Gruender said the two officers were among 13 federal and local
authorities who planned to arrest Murray, seen twice previously
selling crack cocaine to an undercover informant the day of the
shooting on the Berkeley eatery's lot. Shortly after arriving at the
restaurant, the officers trapped Murray's car between two Ford
Explorers, Gruender said. The officers got out of the sport utility
vehicle in front of Murray's car and told the occupants they were
under arrest.

Separated by 10 feet from Murray's car, both men told investigators
they fired at Murray, in fear for their lives, when they thought he
began to pull forward and drive at them.