>From:    Todd Leuthold <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Pat Wright
>...and once again, people are espousing opinions, without paying close
>enough attention to what was said, nor thinking about how things happen
>in the real world.
 
In the real world, Pat took his ferret(s) out in public again... a year
after getting Rocky killed because of a very similar scenario.
 
>The article (which I read) stated that when the policeman confronted Pat,
>he had a "kitchen knife" in his hands.  He was in his house and was in
>possession of a kitchen knife.
 
The article did not specify that he was IN his apartment (and that is
irrelevant anyway).  It said that after his ferret ALLEGEDLY bit a girl on
the arm at a rally (why was he so careless as to take his ferrets out in
public AGAIN?), "...A San Diego plice officer went to Wright's apartment
WITH A SEARCH WARRANT.  Wright had a kitchen knife in his hand and REFUSED
several commands to drop it".
 
>The second, is that police are a funny lot.  They tend to see threats
>where none exist, and not respond to threats that are real.
 
Police are NOT a "funny lot".  In the real world, police (for the most
part) are a dedicated bunch of men and women that put THEIR lives on the
line every day for you, me, and the rest of the public.  They are shot or
stabbed every day across the nation responding to domestic disputes, they
are hit by cars just pulling people over on the side of the road.  Everyday
that they are out fighting for OUR safety, they are relinquishing their
own safety.  They are run over, shot, stabbed....The threat of being shot
or stabbed is a very real one... not because THEY are a "funny lot" but
because the *public* they deal with is a "funny lot".
 
Apparently you are not aware that a man (or woman) with a knife (because of
the close proximity) is more potentially threatening that a man (or woman)
with a gun.  Don't believe me?  Call your local police station and ask.
 
>it could be quite possible that Pat was simply livid with rage and wasn't
>listening to the officer's statements to put the knife down.
 
And those kinds of emotions (rage) and lack of self discipline, coupled
with shock, adrenal rush, indignance, etc., in the real world, of course,
are exactly the kinds of situations that kill police officers.  A person
functioning on those kinds of emotions and that have a potential weapon
in their hand is unpredictable.
 
>was never stated anywhere in the article that the knife was used to
>threaten the officer.
 
When somebody refuses to put down a weapon of ANY sort, it is then assumed
that the reason it is not being put down is because it is going to be USED.
 
>Nor did Pat say anywhere that he had any intentions of using the knife as
>a weapon.
 
He may not have intended to use the knife but his lack of following police
orders intimated that he was, indeed, going to use the knife.
 
>Since police are known to lie about all manner of things in order to get
>the courts to see things their way,
 
What kind of statement is that??  You made a blanket statement there.
Seems to me I've seen plenty of folks holler "police brutality" when there
was none.
 
>Finally, don't go around calling people "fanatics" when you don't know
>anything about them.  It's not fair.
 
What is not "fair" is that one of his ferrets was already euthanized
because of his poor judgement.  What is not fair is that policeman/women
are killed or injured everyday in situations just like this.  What is not
fair is your general assessment of the police community.
 
Anyone that knowingly breaks the law, compounds it by FLAUNTING it, then
refuses to put down a potential weapon when confronted, is either a
"fanatic" or just plain foolhardy.  Take your pick.  I stand by my earlier
statements (and previous post) and resent your general assessment of police
officers.
 
Living in the Real World with a Real ex-cop,
 
Renee
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2972]