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August 2008  Vol. II Number 8

‘Thousands gather to remember slain Christian police officer’

On February 7th a Los Angeles police officer, a SWAT team member, was killed in the line of duty;

By all accounts Randal Simmons was a deeply religious family man who went above and beyond the duties of a good cop, dedicating his life to protecting others as well as helping poor children escape inner-city streets. (see video report) “Simmons, known as "the rock" and "the reverend" by his colleagues, had been with the city's elite SWAT unit for 20 years and had the second-longest tenure of anyone on the team, which formed in 1967.”

Simmons, 51, was shot as a SWAT team entered the home of Edwin Rivera, 20, who had called police and said he had killed his father and two brothers.  Another officer was wounded. The story goes on to say that after an hour’s long standoff, Rivera was shot and killed by a police sniper. 

So goes on the AP story. What caught my eye was this, the last paragraph. 

“The incident is still under investigation, but Police Commission Inspector General Andre Birotte has said preliminary information gave no hint of problems with police actions that day.”(Emphasis mine)

How is it that this should even be considered for inclusion in this article? The SWAT Team had two officers down, one dead, one wounded and they are being investigate for problems with their actions! 

I have read a number of other articles on this and they fall into two groups, the first is basically a reprint of the AP article with perhaps a little local color thrown in and the other and most irritating to me are the ones that blow off the death of a police officer in favor of grief for the “Rivera family.” While I feel sorry for them I have to think they are culpable, because all these stories note that Rivera was mentally ill. They were responsible for his health and well being and to insure that he was not a menace to society.

It was not mentioned of course, the story took place in LA afterall, of the legal status of Rivera and his family members. That, given the immigration problem in our country, is something this reader would like to know.

 


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