Anne Arundel County prosecutors and police internal affairs officers determined it was OK for a person who was in fear for his and his children's safety to show to the person he feared that he had a gun. Specifically, it was their guy, an off-duty police officer, who flashed a gun to the threatening individual during a traffic stop ("Court battle rages in Anne Arundel over traffic stop," Feb. 22).
Officer Mark Collier felt compelled to protect himself and his children in an unplanned situation where the violation of traffic law was important enough to punch the clock and get to work despite the presence of his children in an unmarked police car. However, knowing that the unexpected was normal in traffic stops, he deliberately exposed his firearm to the very person that he feared.
I want prosecutors to remember Mr. Collier's actions when a citizen, as opposed to a member the county government or police force, does the very same thing.
The state's attorney evidently saw nothing wrong with what Mr. Collier did because they said and did nothing about it. Internal affairs, normally a hyper-exacting organization, paid even less attention to the gun flashing than did the prosecutor. Even when Mr. Collier was interviewed by the department, flashing his gun was apparently not a topic of discussion.
Police officers and prosecutors need to remember that flashing possession of a gun should be OK for anyone who fears the individual he faces.
Bill Krehnbrink