Published: December 24, 2007 04:34 pm         

Letters to the Editor

Questions asked in deputy-involved shooting death

Dear Editor,

On May 25 at Possum Kingdom Lake, a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a 26-year-old young man, Jake King. Jake was a good-hearted family man with loving parents, a fiancé, three adoring daughters and many friends.

No one knows why he yielded a small piece of a knife and threatened six law enforcement officers that fateful day. These supposedly trained deputies should have been able to subdue this person easily. They reported that he was asking for one specific officer when he arrived at the scene, but they did not take the time to even try and talk him down.

I have seen the autopsy report and Jake was shot not once, but twice, in the back with one of those shots being the fatal shot. How could this have been no billed by the grand jury? Someone needs to be held responsible. If we are ever to believe in our justice department again, where is the justice? The autopsy also listed the manner of death as a homicide. Will we ever see any of these six officers on trial for homicide?

These are a few questions I would like to ask and hopefully someday understand the answers to:

• Why can’t six officers disarm a man with a broken knife without killing him?

• Did the deputy act negligently by firing three shots, killing this young man?

• Did the district attorney present all the facts to the grand jury?

• Did the grand jury make a decision based on the facts or just a recommendation from the district attorney?

When I arrived on the scene to help my horridly traumatized daughter, who heard every bit of this happening but could not get there to stop it, they would not even let me get to her to at least console her. The reason the deputy gave me for not letting me see her, “because I said you can’t!”

This whole ordeal is just quite sickening. I hope and pray that one day we will see the justice we all deserve, and the nightmares will begin to subside for our daughter. The sheriff’s department needs to take a look at these actions and maybe it will save an unnecessary death in the future.

Cale Kincaid, Graford, Texas



Dunbar thanks Leaning Tree Church for outreach

Dear Editor,

Lavon Anders and the volunteers at the Dunbar Neighborhood Center would like to thank Pastor Scott Poynor and the members of his congregation for their generosity shown to the 25 or more kids at Dunbar for our summer food program.

They came out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday last week to do Vacation Bible School with the kids. There was singing, skits, face painting, arts and crafts, snacks and ministry.

Their church has shown us what it means to do true outreach. May God continue to bless Leaning Tree Church as they be a blessing to others.

Sincerely,

Brenda Henry, Program Director

Dunbar Neighborhood Center