Pubdate: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Copyright: 1999 Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas Contact: http://www.star-telegram.com/ Forum: http://www.star-telegram.com/comm/forums/ Author: Hal Gerhardt Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1367/a07.html READ OUR RIGHTS Upon reading two Dec. 16 articles, I was alarmed by the actions of two of the area's police departments. North Richland Hills police fatally shot a young man who was pointing a handgun at an officer. I am not questioning the justification of the officer involved in the shooting, but I am wondering why 17 police officers stormed a home because of an informant telling them that there was a quantity of marijuana in the home. The reason police gave is that the deceased was arrested once on grounds of possession of a weapon. `But the charge was dropped!' Doesn't this mean that under the law that person was innocent of any crime? In the second article, I read that a Marine corporal was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, but the grand jury declined to indict him. Still, a Keller police spokesman stated: "I don't know why the grand jury declined to indict him. By no means does their decision mean he is innocent." It doesn't? If we have reached the point where police declare the guilt or innocence of citizens, then we have reached a very dangerous time in our society. Maybe these two departments should send their officers back to Basic Law 101, and begin the course by reading the amendments to the Constitution. Does "To Protect and Serve" mean anything anymore? Hal Gerhardt, Watauga - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck