BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Sentinel Police Association said Tuesday the Cincinnati Police Division's "shots fired policy" needs to be reviewed in light of the Justice Department's recent decision clearing police in the February 1997 shooting death of Lorenzo Collins.
"Professionally, we have to accept the decision of the Justice Department, which was based on the "shots fired policy' of the Cincinnati Police Division," said Cecil Thomas, Sentinel president. "However, from a moral standpoint, we cannot justify the shooting of a mentally ill person who is making threats with a brick, especially when there were other officers available to assist."
If the police division's "shots fired policy' allowed for this type of force to be used in the Collins situation, "then maybe we need to look more closely at the policy," Mr. Thomas said. "There cannot be an across-the-board (policy) which applies to every given situation," he said.
Mr. Thomas also called for more "intense training" for police in recognizing and handling the mentally ill.
Friday, the Justice Department announced no federal criminal charges would be filed in Mr. Collins' shooting death by police officers.
Mr. Collins, 25, of Avondale, was shot after escaping from the University Hospital psychiatric ward. A Cincinnati police officer and University of Cincinnati police officer fired on Mr. Collins as he waved a brick while surrounded by 15 police officers in a Corryville yard.
The Sentinel Police Association represents 230 of the police division's 260 black officers.
