An unarmed, good person did not flee from police
Contrary to initial local media accounts that allowed family and friends to portray a suspected robber as a "good person" and as "not armed," the truth is he wasn't a very good person and he was armed:
Rivera, who King said was a "hard-core" and "documented" Crips gang member with a "lengthy criminal history," was positively identified Friday through Department of Public Safety fingerprint records.
Harris County records list several pseudonyms for him.
"This is someone who preyed on the community at large," King said.
And:
The women who called police after being robbed by Rivera have been "terrorized" by gang members, said King.
"They have received death threats, and, quite frankly, are scared," King said.
And:
"He had a black object in his hand as he was running," Hurtt said. The object was later identified as a .38-caliber snub-nosed revolver.
Regardless, Chief Hurtt promises that a complete look at what happened will be presented to a grand jury:
Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt promised Saturday that a grand jury will hear a "fair presentation of all evidence" in the May 12 fatal shooting of a fleeing armed robbery suspect by an officer.
Goodness! A Saturday press conference conducted by Chief Hurtt? In Houston??!
Don't forget the Chronicle's editorial board participated in Harris County's Shoot/Don't Shoot simulator in 2004 with less than optimal results. Police officers have to make those types of split-second decisions often, without the benefit of a do-over.
Houston police officers deserve better than what local media dished out.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/20/07 09:25 PM | Print |
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