I see the attorney general’s office ruled that the August 2023 fatal police shooting in South Portland was justified. That is the right decision, but why did it take six months for them to reach it?
No police officer wants to shoot someone, but when they have to do so, their lives should not be in turmoil for months while the AG gets around to making a decision.
I think the AG should get all the reports, photos, statements and other evidence of an officer-involved shooting and put it all on a table in a conference room. Let those who review such events into that room within a week of the event, but absolutely within the first 30 days. Tell those doing the review they have six hours to reach a decision and remind them that is some five hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds longer than the officer had.
Our police officers put their lives on the line every day and do not have the luxury of taking six months to make decisions while on patrol or in emergency situations. They certainly deserve better service from the AG than they are getting.
Those in the AG’s office should be ashamed of themselves for letting an officer’s life hang in the balance for all that time while they sit in calm comfort and make a decision that the officer had to do in a matter of split seconds.
Gary Phillips
Wells
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