To the editor: Once again, LAPD officers have murdered mentally ill Angelenos with impunity. We do not need more internal investigations and inadequate training aimed at having officers lightly reprimanded or acquitted rather than criminally charged.
We do not need taxpayer funds diverted from mental health services to law enforcement so that affected Angelenos do not receive adequate care and are not in a position to engage in threatening behavior in the first place.
Fatally shooting someone because backup didn't arrive in time is not self-defense or part of the job. It's murder.
James Sarantinos, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I invite anyone wondering why police shoot mentally ill people who attack with knives to watch the horrific body camera video of Las Cruces Police Officer Jonah Hernandez, who was killed by someone with a knife a few months ago. No reputable self-defense expert would recommend hand-to-hand combat techniques against a knife, as former Police Commissioner William Briggs suggested. The entire article smacks of clowns on the sidelines explaining to NBA players how to play basketball.
Chris Duke, Simi Valley
