ARFEE: Here's how to proceed

The shooting of the black lab by the police has brought a great deal of attention to our town and our police. As a former law enforcement officer and K-9 handler I am saddened by these events. I am also a combat veteran and I have faced deadly situations as a cop, without having to resort to the use of deadly force. This is a tragedy!

The police clearly overstepped their bounds. There has got to be a better way to deal with situations, perhaps better training or a better way to respond to a call like this. The dog was protecting his space, it’s their instinct. There have been some insightful and worthwhile comments about this matter and the police need to go outside their department with a civilian review board that is open to the public regarding this matter.

It would be wrong to have an internal investigation white-wash this incident. There are plenty of qualified people, outside the local law enforcement community that could look into this matter. There has got to be a better way to respond to critical situations, which this clearly was not, than using lethal force all the time. There are other, non-lethal weapons that could be employed, instead of using the final solution. It seems that these other methods have gone by the wayside in Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho. Perhaps it is time to revisit some other tactical solutions.

RUSS DeVERNIERO

Coeur d’Alene