Poll: No need to change deadly force policy

The shooting of 13-year-old Andy Lopez by a sheriff’s deputy rocked Sonoma County, and has sparked numerous protests and public meetings as the community searches for a way to prevent future tragedies. But, despite the calls from some community members for a change in law enforcement’s policy on the use of deadly force, those who took part in this week’s unofficial poll said no change is needed. Here were some of the comments:

“Too much blame is put on law enforcement and sensationalized in the media.”

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“No, not after seeing the photo of the toy gun next to a real gun. Nobody would be able to tell that it was a toy.”

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“Parents who allow their children to carry authentic-looking weapons may suffer the consequences. Put yourself in the deputy’s place.”

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“I believe the shooing of Andy Lopez was justified. Parents need to teach their kids to obey police, teachers, etc.”

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“How can anyone think that what happened in the Andy Lopez case does not require the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department to rethink its policy on the use of deadly force?”

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“What happened was a tragedy but analyzing it in hindsight isn’t fair to all the other officers who will come upon someone carrying a gun that won’t listen to simple police commands. What should outrage people is that there are so many toy guns.”