No ‘false narrative’ on police shootings

In response to the Wednesday commentary, “False media narrative is risking the lives of cops,” by Kevin Lawrence, the executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association: Perhaps the lives of cops would be less at risk if they were better trained and stopped shooting and killing unarmed civilians.

From the Houston Press, Nov. 26, 2014, I got this gem: Of the 121 people Houston Police Department officers shot between 2008 and 2012, more than a quarter were unarmed. Ten unarmed civilians were shot dead by Houston cops during that time period.

That’s just in Houston, not all of Texas. In another part of Texas, Yvette Smith, whose crime was to open her front door to police officers, was shot to death by cops. In an unusual instance of something actually looking like justice, the officer was indicted and fired. The police settled for $1.2 million. I am sure that I could find a lot more examples of police killing civilians in Texas.

I would suggest that Mr. Lawrence focus his attention on better training of officers rather than his allegations of a false narrative.