Deadly threat, deadly force

Terri Echegoyen asked “How is it that a knife-wielding man poses a threat worthy of deadly force?” Letters, May 12).

First, anyone wielding a knife poses a deadly threat. Women and adolescents who wield a knife can be deadly threats. A knife is a deadly weapon. A person wielding a knife is threatening to use deadly force.

Law enforcement officers are taught that a knife-wielding person can run 20 feet and stab them faster than they can draw and fire their weapon. The safe way to engage a person wielding a knife is to keep their distance and have their weapon drawn. This is for their safety and the safety of bystanders.

They are also trained in the use of less-lethal weapons. Part of that training is that to safely use less-lethal force at least one officer must be ready with lethal force (a firearm) in case less lethal force doesn’t work.

In this case, as reported in the paper, the police attempted to disarm the knife-wielding person with a Taser. The Taser was not effective and the person was still advancing. This justifies using (“the use of” struck) deadly force to meet deadly force.

I hope this answers Echegoyen’s question.

Chan Bailey

Colbert