Earlier this month the US Department of Justice issued a report asserting that the Albuquerque Police Department has established a pattern and practice in the use of excessive and fatal force that violates the Constitutional rights of those shot or injured by police officers.
The DoJ reviewed 20 fatal shootings by Albuquerque Police between 2009 and 2013 and concluded that in the majority of cases the level of force used was not justified because the person killed by police did not present a threat to police officers or the public. The DoJ also reviewed the use of nonlethal force involving significant harm or injury to people by APD officers and concluded that there was a similar pattern of excessive force and lack of justification.
Naturally, this has stirred up quite a controversy in New Mexico, with strongly held opinions and high emotions on all sides. There have been anti-police protests, pro-police rallies, raucous confrontations, solemn news conferences, and little agreement.
But now, some dimbulb has begun circulating flyers in the city that read “Save a Life, Kill a Cop.”
From nearly 2,000 miles away we can hardly claim to be well acquainted with all the issues in Albuquerque. But we can sum up those flyers in three words: Stupid, stupid, stupid.
