Sign up for 5280's weekly e-newsletters. Want the latest restaurant scoop? The latest happenings around town? Access to exclusive events and deals just for 5280 readers? First, the good news. Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff were uninjured in today’s shooting at the Capitol, in which an as-yet unidentified man was killed by a state trooper.It appears the shooting victim was a little looney.
He walked into the governor’s office with a gun, yelling “I am the emperor. I am here to take over state government.”
Now the questions:Why aren’t there metal detectors in the State Capitol?
Metal detectors were installed at the Capitol after the 9/11 attacks but lawmakers later had them removed.
Was it a necessary or excessive use of force to kill the gunman? Since he hadn’t fired any shots and witnesses report hearing multiple shots, all of the shooting appears to have been done by one or more state troopers. One witness recounted hearing four shots.I have to disagree with Gov. Ritter’s spokesperson Evan Dreyer, who said:
“It’s a testament to the State Patrol that this incident ended quickly and that the governor and everyone else is safe.”
“Everyone else” is not safe. A man is dead. A testament would be due the State Patrol if they had apprehended him alive so he could be charged with a crime and then tried in a court of law. At least there will be an investigation. Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said this afternoon:
Denver homicide detectives are investigating the shooting because it was “a homicide that happened in the City and County of Denver.”
So, we know it was a homicide. What we don’t know is if it was justifiable.
Posted 7/16/2007 at 8:02 pm by Jeralyn Merritt
Crime :: Permalink :: Comments (2)
It amazes me just how little respect people give to law enforcement these days. They are in a nearly impossible position which at times may mean kill or be killed. As an officer, their job is to serve and protect. It is critics such as yourself who undermine the law enforcement system by not giving the people whom we rely on to protect our way of life faith in their split second decisions.
Call me crazy, but I think a person gives up a few rights when he wields a gun at the Capitol. Law enforcement officials have to make split-second decisions to keep the public safe, and I’d rather they choose to act to stop the gun-toting maniac than hesitate and give the gunman time to hurt an innocent victim. You cheapen true investigations into wrongdoing by public officials when you fabricate suspicion about incidents like this. Did you ever consider the possibility that more than one person might be dead if someone who is “a little looney” has time to shoot?
By the way, why doesn’t 5280 hire anyone other than liberal bloggers? Certainly the city mag understands that not all of us are left-wingers, and you might get a few good debates going here if you had several perspectives represented. Nice journalism, folks.