I penned this in response to a recent editorial that appeared in a local newspaper. I’m not naming the newspaper which was the only publication to raise questions concerning the officer’s actions after he was cleared through independent investigations by the Illinois State Police and the Kane County State’s Attorney. Doing so would somehow lend credence to their rather obscure claim that doubts the thoroughness of the investigations by both the ISP and Kane County.
Dear Newspaper Editorial Team,
Dear Newspaper Editorial Team,
You recently penned an editorial asking for more information
about the 2016 traffic stop that led to an exchange of gunfire between the passenger
in the vehicle and one of our Aurora police officers. Because the relationship
our police department has with the residents of this community is built on
trust and transparency, and we recognize that we are accountable to our
citizens first and foremost, I am more than happy to oblige with the
information you seek. Any opportunity to educate is an opportunity to be
seized.
In your editorial, you correctly outlined the actions that
Mr. Martell took against the officer. The vehicle he was riding in was pulled
over. When the officer approached the vehicle, Mr. Martell fled on foot and
began firing at the officer. The officer fired back. Fortunately the bullets
from both weapons did not strike their intended target. I say “fortunately”
because just below keeping our citizens safe from harm is ensuring that our
officers charged with this great responsibility go home to their families after
their shift.
After the exchange of gunfire, Mr. Martell attempted to overtake a family by
committing a home invasion. I’m sure he was looking for refuge and was likely
surprised when a female from inside the residence physically forced him out of
the home. It was at that time that Mr. Martell made the decision to place his
gun to his own head and pull the trigger. That was a terrible tragedy because I
cannot begin to understand even for a moment the loss his family must still be
feeling. I am also devastated for the innocent and undeserving family who still
has to endure the trauma of what occurred before their eyes.
The facts of this case are agreed upon but the lingering
question for your team is the reason for the traffic stop. In your
editorial, you suggest that the answer to this question would “heighten our
confidence in the thoroughness of the investigation.” You have requested a
clearer explanation of what “reasonable suspicion” is. Allow me to restore confidence in your Aurora Police Department by edifying you on the concept of
reasonable suspicion as defined by the supreme law of our land.
Reasonable suspicion is a standard established by the
Supreme Court in a 1968 case in which it ruled that police officers should be
allowed to stop and briefly detain a person if, based upon the officer’s training
and experience, there is reason to believe that the individual is engaging in
criminal activity. The officer is given the opportunity to freeze the action by
stepping in to investigate. Unlike probable cause that uses a reasonable person
standard, reasonable suspicion is based upon the standard of a reasonable police
officer.
Mr. Martell happened to be riding in a vehicle that passed a residence that was struck by gunfire not once but several times in the recent past. The vehicle circled the location several times. In our profession, we call that a clue. Snarkyness aside, when you place the totality of these incidents together, a reasonable police officer would make a decision to stop the vehicle and check it out in an attempt to thwart criminal activity. That’s our job.
Mr. Martell happened to be riding in a vehicle that passed a residence that was struck by gunfire not once but several times in the recent past. The vehicle circled the location several times. In our profession, we call that a clue. Snarkyness aside, when you place the totality of these incidents together, a reasonable police officer would make a decision to stop the vehicle and check it out in an attempt to thwart criminal activity. That’s our job.
I hate to point out the obvious but I feel the need to do so: the officer was right.
Mr. Martell had a gun. We don’t have the luxury to know what
Mr. Martell was going to do with that loaded weapon had the officer not pulled
him over. But we do know that he was brazen enough to fire that weapon at a
police officer in an attempt to kill him.
I stand with my officer and I applaud his skill and
vigilance that led him to be suspicious and to take action against an
individual who may have meant to cause harm. An independent police agency and
the Kane County States Attorney applied the law and determined that the officer
acted appropriately. Sitting behind a computer and questioning these legal
entities is interesting -- but it is your right. Fortunately, we have 289 sworn
police officers in the City of Aurora who, despite your criticism and
skepticism, suit up every day and put themselves in harm’s way to keep you and
yours safe from harm.
7 comments:
Well written needs no explaining. Great Job Standing up for your officers.
I located one reliable example of this fact through this blog website. I am mosting likely to use such information now. Assessment Task Writing Help
Nice blog and valuable for all people. Thank you for posting this.
French Classes in Chennai
French Language Classes in Chennai
IELTS Coaching in Chennai
Japanese Classes in Chennai
Spoken English Classes in Chennai
TOEFL Coaching in Chennai
spanish classes in chennai
content writing course in chennai
French Classes in Velachery
French Classes in Adyar
I really enjoyed this article. I need more information to learn so kindly update it.
Salesforce Training in Chennai
salesforce training in bangalore
Salesforce Course in bangalore
best salesforce training in bangalore
salesforce institute in bangalore
salesforce developer training in bangalore
Big Data Course in Coimbatore
Python Training in Bangalore
salesforce training in marathahalli
salesforce institutes in marathahalli
Thanks for sharing this message.It's useful for us
artificial intelligence training in coimbatore
Blue prism training in coimbatore
RPA Course in coimbatore
Robotic process automation training in coimbatore
C and C++ training in coimbatore
big data training in coimbatore
amazon web services training in coimbatore
Thanks for your interesting ideas.the information's in this blog is very much useful for me to improve my knowledge.
Big Data Hadoop Training In Chennai | Big Data Hadoop Training In anna nagar | Big Data Hadoop Training In omr | Big Data Hadoop Training In porur | Big Data Hadoop Training In tambaram | Big Data Hadoop Training In velachery
python training in bangalore | python online training
aws training in bangalore | aws online training
artificial intelligence training in bangalore | artificial intelligence online training
machine learning training in bangalore | machine learning online training
blockchain training in bangalore | blockchain online training
uipath training in bangalore | uipath online training
Post a Comment