PROBLEM IS MINDSET

The tragic death of Kenneth Walker would never have happened if the police
and deputies had followed a simple procedure. It is my understanding that
not only did the informer describe to the officers the vehicle in which the
four drug suspects would be riding, but also told them that they were from
Florida. The license plate on the vehicle in which Kenneth Walker was a
passenger had a Georgia tag. With this information the officers could have:

1. Stopped the vehicle anyway, because it may have been stolen and the
occupants could still be drug dealers.

2. Using the loudspeaker on the police vehicles, ordered the occupants to
exit with hands up, because the informer also stated that the suspects were
armed. This would have ensured the officers' safety.

A search revealed no weapons, and a record check revealed that none of the
men had a prior criminal history. This information should have raised a
reasonable doubt that these men were indeed drug dealers from Florida. At
this point the officers could have apologized for the inconvenience and
sent them on their way or, still not being satisfied that they were not
drug dealers, call in the drug dog before tearing up the vehicle looking
for drugs that did not exist.

The reason why the foregoing procedure was not followed is simply the
mindset of most law enforcement officers in the Chattahoochee Judicial
Circuit, and particularly in Muscogee County. The only information these
officers considered was the description of the vehicle in which four black
males would be occupants, and the other information simply did not matter.
This resulted in the senseless death of Kenneth Walker.

WILLIAM J. WRIGHT

Columbus