Trigger Happy Cops

Regarding "Scores attend vigil for student shot by officer" (Sunday B2), the article documents that University of the Incarnate Word honors student Robert Cameron Redus was pursued and gunned down by campus police corporal Christopher Carter during an off campus traffic stop.  The facts of the story detail any number of actions by the officer that were curious and provocative.  First and foremost was Cpl Carter's decision to pursue Mr. Redus even though they were both off campus.  What was a campus cop doing trying to enforce traffic laws outside of his jurisdiction?

 

The second was the fact that he provoked the conflict by confronting Mr. Redus and drawing his gun for something as inconsequential as a traffic stop.  Third and most damning was the fact that the officer apparently made no effort to de-escalate the situation, and did not contact the local police whose responsibility it was to enforce laws in the area.  

 

It's ironic that this murder should take place just two weeks after an article in the Chronicle on police shootings in the Houston area titled: "Bulletproof: A special report, Civilians caught in the line of fire" (Page A1, Nov. 24).  The article documents the near perfect immunity of local cops in the past decade against indictment for shootings, despite the questionable nature of several of those shootings.  

 

It will be interesting to see whether a local cop is finally held responsible for gunning down an unarmed citizen.  I am also curious to see whether there's any accountability for putting a gun in the hands of an officer whose work record is as bad as Cpl Carter's.  If holding nine jobs at eight agencies in eight years isn't a red flag, nothing is.

 

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX