Here's the latest head-shaker from California, from the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs:
The murder of a law enforcement officer has been one of the "special circumstance" categories that makes a defendant eligible for the death penalty ever since capital punishment was reinstated in California in the 1970s. It recognizes that those who were murdered in the line of duty are murdered because they represent society, and the murderous attack is an attack on society. With the recent sentencing of an unrepentant killer who took the lives of two Sacramento-area deputies, there are now 44 individuals on California's death row for the murder of a deputy sheriff or police officer.Contra Costa County is at the north end of the east side of the San Francisco Bay area. (It's name means "the opposite coast.") It leans politically left, but not to the moonbat degree of San Francisco or Oakland. The voters have two other choices in this election, and surely they will have enough sense to choose one of the others.
Thus, it was with shock and revulsion that we read the remarks of a candidate for District Attorney in Contra Costa County. Lawrence Strauss, a candidate for District Attorney announced that if elected, he would not seek the death penalty for defendants who killed a police officer because "it's part of the risk they take." He later qualified the statement to say that he would not seek the death penalty for those who kill only one officer -- as if his "risk they take" argument disappears if multiple officers were killed.
Ignorance isn't pretty. Putting aside the callousness of the DA's comment, the reason for handing out the death penalty to cop-killers is that we want to deter extreme resistance to lawful authority. A cop's life isn't inherently worth more than mine, and the DA is right that cops do risk their necks--but the idea that somehow the risk that officers take makes their lives less worthy is specious.
What is wrong with people?
Note that Strauss is not (yet) the District Attorney of Contra Costa County, only a candidate. Hopefully he will be knocked out in June and not even make the November ballot.
~ The two sides seem to be drawn indeed:
CHICAGO, MAY 8, 2018 — The [ATF] agent was ambushed while investigating illegal guns ... He was shot in his face and nearly lost an eye, officials said. He
was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but is expected to recover.
Local and federal police searched homes and executed multiple search warrants Friday near the 4500 block of South Hermitage Avenue. Authorities continued to sweep the neighborhood Saturday in armored tactical vehicles with guns drawn.
Some residents slammed the police response Saturday, calling it too aggressive.
“Just because you’re wearing a badge, it matters more?” asked Mayra
Salinas, a mother who lives in Back of the Yards.
“How does that make us feel? We have a lot of homicides that go unsolved, and
not one time do they put this much effort into finding the gunman that killed our friend, our brother.”
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said: “This is the 4th law enforcement officer that’s been shot over in that area. You think we’re going to take this lying down?
I’ve got a message: We’re coming for you.”
~ http://wgntv.com/2018/05/08/suspect-arrested-in-shooting-of-atf-agent/