Chester Mayor Wendell Butler finds himself in a tough spot.
The mayor is smack in the middle of a firestorm after the fatal shooting of a citizen by a city police officer two weekends ago.
Last week several protests were held at police headquarters after the shooting of Daniel Simms. Back on Aug. 5, police tried to stop Simms, but he fled and also displayed a handgun and pointed it at officers. He was shot in the back and killed.
As with any police-involved shooting, the officer, who has not been publicly identified, was placed on desk duty. The incident is being investigated by the District Attorney’s Office.
Family members and friends of Simms held several protests, including one outside police headquarters where some residents chanted threats against the officer.
Butler met with the family. On Friday he indicated he was going to suspend the officer involved – before the investigation by the D.A.’s office was complete.
That decision caused an uproar among city police officers and their supporters. A Facebook fan page called “Support City of Chester Law Enforcement” has mushroomed in popularity since it appeared late Saturday afternoon.
Butler was the target of withering criticism on the site, some nearly as over the line as some of the chants heard during the earlier protests by citizens.
Butler, who is running for re-election and has an opponent in November, has now had a change of heart.
He drew up the letter informing the officer he was being suspended on Friday because he feared an outbreak of violence in the city. But he never actually delivered it. Then on Saturday he was backing off the call for the suspension.
Good for him.
Butler says he will now await the results of the investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.
Everyone involved in this case needs to take a deep breath, exhale and most importantly, back off the heated rhetoric. Let the investigation run its course.
You can understand Butler’s fears of a violent outbreak in the city. But that does not override the fact that there is a system in place for these kinds of incidents. The matter is now in the hands of the district attorney and state police.
We’ll await their decision.
The mayor is smack in the middle of a firestorm after the fatal shooting of a citizen by a city police officer two weekends ago.
Last week several protests were held at police headquarters after the shooting of Daniel Simms. Back on Aug. 5, police tried to stop Simms, but he fled and also displayed a handgun and pointed it at officers. He was shot in the back and killed.
As with any police-involved shooting, the officer, who has not been publicly identified, was placed on desk duty. The incident is being investigated by the District Attorney’s Office.
Family members and friends of Simms held several protests, including one outside police headquarters where some residents chanted threats against the officer.
Butler met with the family. On Friday he indicated he was going to suspend the officer involved – before the investigation by the D.A.’s office was complete.
That decision caused an uproar among city police officers and their supporters. A Facebook fan page called “Support City of Chester Law Enforcement” has mushroomed in popularity since it appeared late Saturday afternoon.
Butler was the target of withering criticism on the site, some nearly as over the line as some of the chants heard during the earlier protests by citizens.
Butler, who is running for re-election and has an opponent in November, has now had a change of heart.
He drew up the letter informing the officer he was being suspended on Friday because he feared an outbreak of violence in the city. But he never actually delivered it. Then on Saturday he was backing off the call for the suspension.
Good for him.
Butler says he will now await the results of the investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.
Everyone involved in this case needs to take a deep breath, exhale and most importantly, back off the heated rhetoric. Let the investigation run its course.
You can understand Butler’s fears of a violent outbreak in the city. But that does not override the fact that there is a system in place for these kinds of incidents. The matter is now in the hands of the district attorney and state police.
We’ll await their decision.
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