City Councilor Chuck Turner called for a hearing on use of deadly force by the Boston Police Department last week after the sixth death at the hands of a police officer in little more than a year claimed the life of 37-year-old Willie Murray Jr.
"In the last 15 months there have been six fatal shootings by police officers. In five of them, the officers were found to be justified," said Turner eliminating the Murray shooting where the actions of officer Shawn West are currently being investigated by a grand jury.
"The purpose of this hearing is to look at the six deaths and look at the procedures used by the officers."
According to Boston Police Department Superintendent Ann Marie Doherty, the overriding instruction police officers receive when undergoing training on the use of deadly force is "to use the least amount of force necessary" to subdue a suspect.
"But it is impossible to think of each possible scenario that a police officer could come by," said Doherty. "In the end, the individual is the final decision-maker."
According to Turner, of the six shootings in the past 15 months, three of the police officers who caused the death of a suspect were under 25 years of age. Some are concerned that maybe the young age and lack of appropriate training could have led to the deaths of the suspects.
"As I've looked at these cases, I don't think these were cases where issues of racial bias or issues of rogue officers were a factor in determining the deadly outcome," said Turner. "I do believe, however, there are issues about whether protocols are leading to the actions of these young police officers."
The Boston Police Department says none of the police officers were 25 years of age or younger.
"All the officers involved in the shooting were between 26 and 34 years of age," said Mariellen Burns, director of media relations for the Boston Police Department emphasizing that officers attend intensive training for months before making it to the streets.
Boston police officers all carry a firearm. But they also carry batons, mace, and could possibly be carrying a stun gun in the future as well.
"We are currently assessing the use of stun guns," said Doherty, although the weapons are currently illegal in the state of Massachusetts.
Doherty further said that relative to other US cities of equal size to Boston, five fatal shootings is really not that much at all.
"Five deaths in less than two years is a very small number," said Doherty. "Its larger than what we've had in the past but this is not something that goes off the charts."
Still there are those who are concerned.
"This is number six in the last year," said Sadiki Kambone, director of Black Community Information Center. "This shows that the police are still out of control. They are more inclined to reach for a weapon then they ought to use common sense."
As for her reaction to Turner's request for in investigation into police policy and protocol, Doherty says she feels neither threatened nor angry since reviewing police policy is an ongoing process at the department.
Photograph (Chuck Turner)
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