LETTER DISPUTED

Facts ARE facts! Letter writer Michael Jefferson ("Reyes knows
better," Feb. 8), may assume his opinion to be factual. He should know
about the shooting of Ezekiel Hernandez Jr. in 1997 better than
anybody, yet he took U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes' statement out of context.

The facts reveal the 17-year-old Redford boy who was killed in 1997
did NOT "shoot at the Marines" but at movement in some brush he
thought might be predators after his goats.

The Times reported Feb. 2: "Reyes said he thinks that tragedy occurred
'because they were out there by themselves and had no one to tell
them: Don't shoot an individual when we don't have all the facts...' "
Reyes did NOT say, as Jefferson claimed, "Don't shoot an individual
when we don't know all the facts."

Jefferson also wrote: "...The investigation also revealed the young
man shot at two Border Patrol agents in the same area two months
before his death..." Again, the Redford boy thought he was shooting at
predators endangering his goats and not at Border Patrol agents, who
identified themselves.

Nobody is more supportive of Joint Task Force 6 than Reyes. The facts
behind Reyes' Feb. 2 statements, and Jefferson's distortions are
easily verified.

Peter Brock

Community liaison for U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes