To the editor:
I feel strongly compelled to write a response to Ms. Camara’s Aug. 23 letter to the editor on the very unfortunate shooting in Peterborough of Mr. Lane Lesko.
Chief Brian Giammarino was left with no choice but to defend himself, the other officers and trooper at the scene as well as the community at large. In fact, there was a fair and unbiased investigation done by N.H. Attorneys General’s office, which released a very thorough report on the events that led up to the shooting. I read the report in full and this young man reportedly had mental health challenges that resulted in this tragic end. If this young man would have followed the instructions of Chief Giammarino, we would have read about it in the police logs. But Mr Lesko didn’t and discharged his weapon – BB gun or not, to the officer who was on the other end of the muzzle — in those very split moments that he had to make the “call” he did what he was trained to do.
To suggest that officers and other law enforcement should “shoot to wound” is Monday-morning quarterbacking. We entrust that the state and other training that these peace officers receive does the best that can be done to prepare for this type of situation. Plus, all officer shootings in this state are investigated fairly by an independent oversight entity to make sure that they were justified, and lessons are learned and passed along in future training.
I for one, as a parent as well, am completely comfortable with the Peterborough and the surrounding police departments’ professionalism, courtesy and training. Officers across this region and country are dealing with a wide host of mental, alcohol/drug, and non-compliant citizens and we entrust these men and women to do the best they can in the situation they are put in by those individuals’ actions. We teach our children to respect and obey these officers’ instructions, as they are protecting our family and our community.
Based on the support the Greenfield chief received in the community and social media, a great many people agree that he made the right call in the situation that Mr. Lesko put our community in that unfortunate June day.
D. James (Jim) Graham
Peterborough