YET ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE WAR ON DRUGS

This weekend's police killing of Cheryl Lynn Noel is yet another
tragic death attributable to the police decision to clamp down on the
drug trade ("Baltimore Co. officer fatally shoots woman during
narcotics raid," Jan. 22).

While I am neither a gun owner nor an advocate for the gun lobby, I
certainly understand Ms. Noel's decision to own a handgun for personal
protection.

Who can blame her for grabbing her handgun when undercover police
bombed her home and broke down her bedroom door at 5 a.m.? How many of
us would have responded otherwise?

Ms. Noel was a loving wife and mother and a hard-working member of the
community, not a drug dealer.

The Baltimore County Police Department's decision to engage in "sting"
operations puts innocent citizens at unacceptable risk.

VALERIE LESTER

Baltimore