MARIO PAZ KILLING

Re the home invasion and killing of Mario Paz by the El Monte police
SWAT team, Aug. 26: Arrest everyone involved in this operation,
including the El Monte police chief, the Compton police chief and
throw them in jail. SWAT teams shouldn't be conducting night
operations; there is no war going on. It is unsafe for everyone and
just plain stupid.

But it is very macho.

SWAT officers shouldn't be wearing masks in any operation; it is
confusing to the public who think they are robbers. Why was Paz shot
in the back in his Compton home by El Monte police? These people are
idiots.

Andrew Levinson
Thousand Oaks

From all appearances, Paz headed a high-achieving family working
hard and conducting themselves as upstanding members of the community.

Yet because an ex-neighbor sometimes received mail at their address,
the El Monte police were able to convince a judge to sign a warrant
permitting them to break into the Paz home and shoot the old man twice
in the back while he was on his knees. I'm pretty confident the
district attorney will rule it a "justifiable homicide." We should
thank our lucky stars that we don't live in a police state--we might
not be as safe in our homes.

Diana Strain
San Diego