Feb 7, 2005 4 min read

On May 5, 2004 I was put into a position where I had to deploy deadly force within the performance of my duties as a police officer. As a result of that incident myself and three other officers have been repeatedly attacked in the media. I have been called a menace to society, a psychopath, a killer and accused of using excessive force. I have continued to remain silent about the incident and not make any attempt to slander the person in the public eye or have this case tried by the public through the media. It has been insinuated that when the four officers involved came to work that day that we came to work with the intent of hurting someone, which is simply a lie. Everyday police officers leave their families and come to work not knowing what is going to happen during the course of their shift. Will they be lucky enough to save a life, will they be forced to take a life or will they have to give the ultimate sacrifice and lose their life.

As a result of this tragic incident many lives have been affected. The family and friends of the individual have suffered the loss of a loved one. They understandably have several questions about the incident and are entitled to the truth about the incident, however, it seems that even with the truth being presented it is not accepted. Repeatedly, the media is provided with false information about the incident and accusations are made alleging what the police did and why the police did it.

Some allege racial profiling, or a vengeance, others try to make the public believe that the police abuse their powers and are in the Wild West. What people need to understand is that police officers are also affected by decisions that we are forced to make. We too have to lived with the heartache of critical incidents.

Police are forced to make life and death decisions in milliseconds that others have months and years to come up with an alternate plan of what we could have or should have done. We go through our career praying we will never have to make these decisions, but sometimes they are unavoidable.

I accept the responsibility for my actions and sympathize with all involved for the devastation this has caused to our families and friendships.

H. Dennis Field Jr.

Store is first step in keeping Greene’s dollars at home

We’ve all been reading all about Wal-Mart coming to Waynesburg. So how about we take our heads out of the sand and use our brains to figure it all out? Have any of you taken the time to find out how much Wal-Mart pays in taxes in other counties?

Every time we hop in our cars and travel off to a nearby Wal-Mart, we are putting our money into tax money at another location instead of where we live. When you have companies paying bigger chunks of taxes that helps each of us to pay less for a better quality of life. How many of our children or grandchildren had to move away to get jobs? Wouldn’t it be nice to keep them here instead? Convenience of a closer Wal-Mart is the least of our concerns. We need to start letting stores and businesses in to boost our local economy.

And the Waynesburg Airport is another thing. With a larger airport there was a company that wanted to move to Greene County, but that also was not to be.

Use your brains and figure out what is going on here in our own backyard with taxes and lack of economy. Our mines are about finished in this area, so it is time that we think about where our children and grandchildren will work. Building a shopping center and/or new businesses will employ many, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, road workers as well as all the people the Wal-Mart or other businesses will employ. These same people will need to eat, so our grocery stores and restaurants will also benefit. Let’s all work together to building our economy instead to trashing it and handing all benefits to other communities.

Clara M. Miller

Carmichaels