Last week, the Half Moon Bay City Council decided that District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe’s findings concerning deputies involved in a May 5, 2020, shooting in their city should be sent to higher authority for review (“AG review sought for fatal shooting” in the Sept. 19-20 edition of the Daily Journal). DA Wagstaffe cleared the deputies and affirmed the deputies’ use of lethal force against a person who fired a shotgun at one of the deputies. Sadly, that use of force has a tragic element in that the person shot by deputies appears to have suffered some sort of mental illness.
However, the council has yielded to protests by persons without direct knowledge or evidence about the incident. Where is the leadership?
Can the council look at the DA’s investigation and decide whether its findings are correct or if this matter requires an independent investigation? Apparently not. While the council made it clear they are not doubting the DA’s findings, they plan to send those findings to the state attorney general for review to appease residents who claim the DA is incorrect. Again, where is the leadership?
A mayor in another city said recently that leadership with respect to matters involving law enforcement is “standing in the middle and working with both groups to find common ground.” That is not leadership; that is subservience. City councils cannot make such important decisions regarding law enforcement based on who has the loudest voice in the room.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.