POLICE: Being in their shoes

I read the My Turn column by Mr. Miller, and I couldn’t agree more. As a former police officer (1970-’80s) I can tell you that however nice, quiet, and decent a person is, once alcohol or drugs are involved, it is like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde effect. I have had many people threaten me, call me every name in the book and resist arrest for DUIs. When they appear in court with their suit and tie and act meek with their “yes sirs” and “no sirs,” it’s like a different person. If you haven’t been in law enforcement, then you just don’t understand.

I agree that if this happened when school had started, it could have been a child instead of a pole. As a police officer, when a person has a weapon and says, “I’m not going back to jail,” that raises a lot of red flags.

People, especially ones with prior DUIs or drug arrests, know the consequences when they take that first drink. If you have a weapon and a police officer gives you a command, and you don’t comply, then it’s your choice.

With all these anti-government and anti-police groups around, you have to protect yourself. These officers go through months of training. If you feel unsafe, then it should be because of all these people carrying concealed weapons with minimum training, not because of the police.

DANIEL GRESSLER

Rathdrum