Letters | POLICE SHOOTING: TOUGH CALL, BUT CORRECT

Last week, we asked you about the police shooting death of Steven Miller.

Your responses:

HERE IS an armed man, walking a busy city street with a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic. We'll never know what his intent was. Was he looking to harm himself or some innocent bystander? Was that a chance anyone was willing to take? Was there a better way for this situation to end?

Why is it when a murder is committed in this city, there are so often no named sources or witnesses? Murderers are allowed to kill again because no one wants to be a "snitch" and witnesses are afraid to testify.

Yet when the victim dies as a result of a police shooting, the list of witnesses is neverending. Their faces are on every news broadcast, and they are ensuring their names are spelled correctly when quoted by the Daily News.

Keisha Williams, Philadelphia

Would the people complaining about the number of shots fired be so upset if this guy had been allowed to kill a baby or a small child? Then, of course, we would be hearing about how "the police don't care" about certain neighborhoods. The lesson: Don't get high and wave a semiautomatic pistol and expect nothing to happen.

Josh Piersol, Conshohocken

Philadelphians cry and complain about the murder rate, illegal guns and thugs running the streets. They demand action. So police respond to a report of a man high on drugs with an illegal gun and are forced to use lethal force defending themselves and innocent bystanders. Good! My only concern: Why did so many shots miss?

I don't feel sorry for this man or for people who stand by and do nothing but Monday-morning quarterback the actions of the police.

Rich Kessler, North Wales

I'd like to see what any of the complaining neighbors would have done if he was pointing a loaded weapon at them.

They called police for help and should realize that this drugged man could have opened fire on them. And after he took down some children, the neighbors would begin their speeches of where were the police and when is somebody going to do something.

Alex Barto, Philadelphia

An armed crazy man is incoherent, disorderly and waving a gun at police officers in a threatening manner.

He was a threat to the lives of the officers. Did he deserve to be shot? Yes.

Were 85 shots excessive? Yes, when you realize there were only seven officers shooting. Somebody must have reloaded.

But what concerns me most is that the victim was only hit 21 times. That's 25 percent of the shots fired. Where did the other 64 bullets go? Into two officers and people's houses and cars. With as horrible shots as these officers were, they are as much a threat as the victim.

The officers were justified in discharging their weapons. But whoever reloaded is guilty of abuse. And they all need more target practice.

Dale R. Stevens, Claymont, Del.

It's not excessive force when a man high on marijuana laced with embalming fluid is pointing a .40-caliber semiautomatic at you. This gun can kill seven officers in under five seconds. If one cop had hesitated for a second, some of the officers wouldn't be going home. So, were 85 shots reasonable? No, they were MANDATORY!

Keith E. Callan, Philadelphia

Excessive force is if the police used a 50-caliber machine gun and the perpetrator had a Derringer two-shot gun.

But how about the excessive number of people killed on the streets in an argument where the loser goes home and comes back with a gun?

When police arrive and take their guns out, it is to protect the public. Yet people still stand out on the street to watch what is going on instead of getting under cover.

Ken Milgrom, Philadelphia

It amazes me that a community faced with a deranged man with a loaded illegal gun, waving it around in the street and under the influence of PCP, can be so sympathetic toward him.

I guess the police should have waited to find out if he was really going to pull the trigger and, once a cop was shot, proceed to ask him why he did it and to point out to him that if they were to shoot back, the community he was threatening might be offended.

The assumption is that the first cop who shot him was a white cop, but let's see what the investigation turns up.

Meanwhile, all gun-toting criminals will be free to do what they do best in that neighborhood without fear of being fired at by police until the number of shells fired at the drughead is established and each one explained to the satisfaction of the residents.

Kevin Allen, Philadelphia

The police response was reasonable - what was excessive was the dangerous situation created by Steven Miller.

Those of us who are law-abiding have no sympathy for those who choose to deal with life's problems by doing drugs. What outcome did Miller imagine when he chose to ingest marijuana laced with embalming fluid, and subsequently pointed a semiautomatic weapon at police?

Despite his family's predictable statements that he was good at heart, Miller's actions indicate the opposite. As we saw last year in the tragic case of Gary Skerski, there are those who have no qualms about murdering a law-enforcement officer. I'd rather see the lawbreaker shot than risk a cop taking a single bullet from a drug-addled loser with no respect for his own life or the lives of others.

Joseph Hauser, Cheltenham

It seems ironic that we have dozens of witnesses and on the news they were able to show a video of the police doing their job, but when a murder is committed, you can hear the crickets, not a witness to be found.

Was the response excessive? I'm not able to answer since I've never been in a position to make that decision. The police have a very difficult and thankless job.

Instead of being judgmental, couldn't we just be thankful?

John E. Calter, Bensalem

People go to a meeting shouting about someone who got shot because they called police about the man with a gun?

I lived in that area for more than 10 years, and it is horrible. These same so-called concerned citizens see nothing that is worth seeing. But as soon as there is a fight, they come out like roaches to see and get involved.

I don't know exactly how many times he was shot out of the 85 bullets fired, but maybe that is a bit excessive, and, yes, the family does deserve some justice. But let's take a look at these thugs running around with Tasers and samurai swords and knives at 16.

Harriet Brown, Philadelphia

Are the police getting trigger-happy lately? Why use so many bullets on a suspect? Because of this, I'm concerned about my severe hearing loss and what happens if I get stopped by a police officer and can't hear him clearly. Will he shoot me?

Robert F. Schaffer, Philadelphia

Why is it that when someone like "Butter" dies, we hear, "He was trying to put his life together" or "He was planning to go to school"? By his brother Paris Young's admission, he worked sporadically and didn't have a high school diploma. Now we're supposed to assume he was on the path of righteousness?

The police did what was necessary in the time they had to react.

Steve McGrath, Philadelphia

The police were correct in their actions. If this guy just kept coming after he was shot, then you must shoot till he stops.

I think Commissioner Johnson had the best point: A 6-year-old gets killed, nobody sees anything. A cop shoots somebody, and there are lots of witnesses.

Craig Hartzell

Fairless Hills