To the writer who says police action in a recent shooting in Makawao was uncalled for, I say: Put the uniform on, darling, and put your life on the line. Then say whose action was uncalled for.
These are different times, my dear, where an officer has to make a split-second decision as to what he must do in a situation like that. Drugs and guns are abundant out there and “shooting the tires” is a thing seen in movies, not in a life and death situation. No stray bullets here!
It would make life for a police officer so much easier if everyone would stop when he tells you to. Then, and only then, would we not have to get shot. Think about it, lady. In that situation, the officers had less time than you had to read about it in the newspapers. Trained? You’re damned right they’re trained. Trained to prevent an incident from escalating into something more dreadful.
But you have the right to free speech and can say anything you want. Just don’t appear so uninformed.
I retired from the Maui Police Department as a lieutenant in 1979, so don’t tell me these officers are not trained. You should have the opportunity of going through the training they have. Then you’ll be able to criticize, if you still can. Back in the mid ’50s, we learned the laws and very little about how to handle a situation like this one. Nowadays, I believe that their training is 300 percent more complex and rigorous.
The officers involved deserve credit, not criticism from the likes of you.
Gordon C. Cockett
Lahaina