Students from Denver’s East High School march last Wednesday to protest the decision by a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., not to indict the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown earlier this year. During the protest, four Denver police officers were hit by a car, severely injuring one of them. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Re: “Police union: Some protesters cheered when officer injured,” Dec. 5 news story.
As an East High School student, I was disappointed that the Denver Police Protective Association would state that East students cheered when four Denver police officers were tragically injured during the protest in support of Ferguson. That claim, supposedly from “police sources,” was not corroborated by anyone else, including other students or adults and not even the Denver Police Department. In fact, the students who witnessed the accident were terrified and shocked.
The association’s “us against them” mentality only fuels mistrust between the youth of Denver and the police. In reality, the police have all of the power. The union members carry the weapons, have arrest powers, and should be leading the discussion, not berating students for exercising their First Amendment rights.
Nick Panagos, Denver
This letter was published in the Dec. 9 edition.
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