POLICE SHOOTINGS OF CITIZENS

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carried this story titled "Family speaks out against police violence". The family of Beau Baker, shot to death by police two years ago outside his apartment in Kitchener, have referred to excessive police violence. It's hard to disagree in many cases around Ontario.

Police officers are supposed to be trained to protect themselves and the public. Besides guns they also carry batons, pepper spray and sometimes Tasers or stun guns. The use of non-lethal methods to disarm or stop criminal behaviour should be the first method most especially when the allegedly threatening individual does not have a firearm. It does kind of make you wonder how the British police have done it so well for so long without firearms. It's almost as if there is a reticence in Britain to have state sanctioned individuals killing unarmed citizens. Almost like a moral high ground that is missing in North America.