Dear Editor:
Though the shooting of the BSU student was very tragic, I amsick and tired of hearing people rip the UPD officer and the forcehe used. No one knows all of the circumstances that took place thatnight. They should not make judgments on whether the officer'sforce was excessive or if he is "qualified" by having just 40 hoursof pre-basic training.
As a reserve officer, I have only gone through 40 hours ofpre-basic training, as required by the Indiana Law EnforcementAcademy, and I do not feel that I am less competent or lessqualified than my fellow full-time officers who have been throughILEA. Only law-enforcement officers know what it is like in thattype of situation -- when they only have a second to make adecision. Everyone else will never know that feeling or what anofficer goes through to protect the citizens.
People easily bad mouth police officers about their actions, butwhen those people are in the exact same situation needing help,they are more than happy to see a police officer on the scene. Itis a double standard that law-enforcement officers have to dealwith.
As for Mrs. Akers' letter to the editor on Wednesday, what shesaid shows her lack of knowledge of the way an officer is trainedin a deadly force encounter. An officer who is being charged at bya suspect cannot just run around in circles waiting for back-up toarrive. That is not practical. For her to even ask an officer toconsider firing a warning shot or trying to hit a suspect in theleg or foot is preposterous. First, we are trained never to fire awarning shot unless we have no other means of communication withother officers (radio, etc.). Warning shots are not practical,especially if a subject is charging at the officer. Plus, a bulletthat goes up must come down, and it might hit an innocentbystander.
Also, officers are trained to shoot to incapacitate and to shootat the center mass (the midsection of a person) because it is thelargest target and easiest to hit. A foot or leg is so small; thelikelihood of any officer being able to shoot a leg or a foot of arunning suspect is nearly impossible.
As a law-enforcement officer, I am very frustrated with all thenegative comments made about Officer Duplain. It is a very tragicsituation that happened, and a life was taken, but law-enforcementofficers are out there everyday protecting all of you.
Kristin Sprunger
senior
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