[Dave Williams]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030119-9999_mz1n19gun.html

This is the first in a two part series. Evidently, San Diego Police Officers shoot a heck of a lot of people. I thought some of you would find this interesting.

Dave

[Standing Wolf]

Quote: For example, almost two-thirds of the people shot and killed by officers from 1990 through 2001 had alcohol or drugs, primarily methamphetamine, in their system.

I think it's a clue.

[blades67]

:what: Get drunk in San Diego and the police will shoot and kill you!:neener:

[Peter Gun]

I lived in San Diego for a few years in late 80's. They do shoot a lot of people. It usede to be on the news frequently even back then. I personally witnessed a suspect shot in the back as he fled the cops. I can understand why they might have an itchy fingers, though, as it was the Meth lab capital of America then. The thing that really bothered me about the incident I witnessed was when that officer went before a shooting review board and his FATHER refused to recuse himself, because he couldn't see a conflict of interest. It seemed that they had given up any thought to how the public perceived the police.

[KMKeller]

I had applied to the San Diego Police in '89 and had my date to report to the academy. About a week before I was due to report, there were six officers killed in gang or drug related shootings. I decided at that point, I'd rather not be popo (a decision I have recently reversed). The San Diego PD are in a unique position not unlike the officers in any other border town, but probably most akin to El Paso. The illegals, the crooks, criminals combined with alcohol and drugs make a VERY lethal mix. They may show as gun happy in this, but they are also heavily gunned at.

[Dave Williams]

Who knows, you could have been this generations Jim Cirillo(although I hear an LAPD SIS Officer was gaining that rep at one point).

"A small number of officers involved in a disproportionate number of shootings. Twenty-nine officers were responsible for almost one-third of all officer-involved shootings from 1990 through 2001."

Sounds like the Tactical Unit/SWAT/ERT unit, no?

Dave

[Erick Gelhaus]

All things considered, the part 1 that I read wasn't all that horrible. Might be I'm used to seeing much worse from the media.

I did enjoy the reporter saying, in essence, "...many of these officers have been sued..." that resulted in a good laugh here.