Op-Ed: Statement from Rep. Cindy Ryu on the fatal shooting by police in Pasco
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Rep. Cindy Ryu represents the 32nd legislature district, which includes all of Shoreline, and Woodway, and parts of North Seattle, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Lynnwood, as well as parts of unincorporated Snohomish county.
We have a problem in America, and in Washington state, with violence and death.
I support the governor’s decision to have the state’s attorney general review the county prosecutor’s decision not to file charges against the three officers who fired the 17 shots that killed Antonio Zambrano-Montes.
It’s a tragedy when a police officer dies in the line of duty—and just as tragic when people are shot and killed by police.
This is happening far too frequently, especially with people of color.
So far this year, 18 people in Washington state have been fatally shot by police or died in custody.
England and Wales had 55 fatal police shootings in the last 24 years.
Here in America, we had 59 fatal police shootings in the first 24 days of 2015. The total now stands at 808 dead, according to a database maintained by the Guardian newspaper.
As a mother, I can only imagine the pain of losing one of my sons or daughters.
As a lawmaker, I believe we have a duty to act. Because it doesn’t have to be this way.
It’s time for fair, independent investigations of police shootings—and a hard look at practical ways to prevent these tragedies.
Updated 09-11-2015 to add to cities in 32nd district
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5 comments:
Crime is happening far too frequently, especially with people of color.
I am far from a socially conservative person, but it's difficult to dredge up sympathy for an illegal immigrant with a long criminal history who by all accounts was a poor father and husband with seemingly no sense of responsibility toward himself, his family and others. Representative Ryu, you might consider that a three pound rock thrown slightly more accurately would cause you to pen a similar puff piece, only this time lamenting the violence against police officers in this country. You can't have it both ways...we entrust police to make instant decisions and then excoriate them if we think these decisions were not perfect.
People don't get a free pass for being awful persons just because they are complete losers. I don't know how this trend started, but I support the police and will shed no tears when those who are seemingly (in this case, literally) begging to to be shot by police have their death wish fulfilled.
Get real.
Cindy,
When was the last time you rode with any police officer on patrol? Not sat with the chief over coffee but actually rode in the passenger seat for a four hour ride along? When was the last time you participated in a use of force training simulator or discussed real world use of force? When was the last time you addressed gang gun violence, often necessitating a police use of force (including deadly force)? When was the last time you discussed the use of force continuum every police agency in your district has? Will you address the elephant in the room that this illegal alien had committed and was commiting violent acts as he was contacted by the police? Are you willing to accept a citizen's or officer's injury from a rock or other projectile in lieu of appropriate force used? I look forward to your response to these questions.
I have a question 4:44, what is an appropriate use of force for an unarmed human being wielding a non-lethal (albeit dangerous) weapon...deadly force? I would hope the training of these officers would not have necessitated the unloading 17 shots into this human being. I would like to think we are a more compassionate race than that.
Fred from Shoreline
Since when is throwing rocks a capital offense? If it is, lets apply it to the neighbor kids who throw rocks... And since when do the police (in the USA) prosecute, try, sentence, and carry out penalties?
It's called extra-judicial execution and I'm horrified it's (still) happening in my country.
Remembering Cindy Ryu's earlier "don't know much" response on the subject of gun violence, I'm glad she has become more informed as an elected law-maker. Washington State is behind the times.
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