POLICE MUST FIND AN ALTERNATIVE TO LETHAL SHOOTINGS

I used to live in Dundalk but have moved to West Virginia. My parents
still live in Dundalk.

I've just heard that an Essex man was shot multiple times in the chest
and killed by the Baltimore County police because he threatened them
with a piece of pipe. Has human life become so cheap in Baltimore
County? It would seem that there are so many other ways they could
have dealt with this man short of killing him.

It should also be remembered that about a year ago Baltimore County
police shot and killed an Essex woman standing in her doorway with a
knife. Was that necessary? With all of the technology we have today,
aren't there nonlethal ways of subduing people?

I'd like to take this opportunity to address George Karatzas' letter
to The Eagle ("Shooting tragic, but police officers can't be blamed,"
March 17 By the People). I've known the Noel family for almost 15
years and I can tell you this with absolutely no doubt in my mind.
Cheryl Noel, who was shot multiple times in the chest and killed by
Baltimore County police on Jan. 21, would still be alive if the police
had followed the procedures described in your letter. She was not the
kind of person who would resist a police officer.

These are three cases of Baltimore County police killing people in
just the last year or so. There may be others I haven't heard about.
Was it necessary to shoot these people? Was it necessary to shoot them
in the chest? Was it necessary to shoot them multiple times,
practically insuring a fatality?

Does anyone else see a behavior pattern here? How many unnecessary
killings are we going to let be justified before we do something about
it? I think our police force needs to be looked at very closely and
some changes made to protect the public from the misuse of police powers.

The Baltimore County police have a very difficult job to do and we
appreciate their efforts, but they must do the job correctly. Killing
a person is permanent and can never be undone. It should be an
absolute last resort. I don't think that taking lives and leaving
groups of devastated families and friends does anything to make our
streets safer. More likely the opposite.

Our streets will never be safe if we need to fear the police as well
as the criminals. There must be a better way.

Tom Yuhase

Keyser, W.Va.