Extraordinary news.
I’m going to confess that after Tammy Baldwin and thousands of Wisconsinites begged the U.S. Justice Department to look into the election records of Waukesha County back in April of 2011 and the U.S. DOJ ignored that, I had zero expectations for help on this matter.*
“The U.S. Justice Department will review the fatal shooting of Paul Heenan by a Madison police officer to determine if Heenan’s civil rights were violated by the use of unreasonable force.
U.S. Attorney John Vaudreuil said he asked for the review after receiving 50 to 100 letters seeking an independent review of the Madison Police Department’s own investigation of the Nov. 9 shooting.
Vaudreuil said the review by the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., which could take several weeks to be completed, will be limited to the question of whether there was a violation of federal law, specifically whether Heenan’s constitutional rights were violated by the use of unreasonable force.”
More info over at Department of Justice to review fatal Madison police shooting WI State Journal, Author: Sandy Cullen [you'll need to log into that site to read it]
* I’m probably also inclined to believe that it is next to impossible to drag a police officer through the justice system for any suspected crime. (A contributing factor in my decision to stay away from the singers-vs-cops/DOA feud in the Wisconsin Capitol building).
Follow my blog at http://improvingpolice.wordpress.com for some questions and perhaps answers. Police officers who serve in a democracy must be men and women who are carefully selected, highly-educated, carefully selected, well-trained, controlled in their use of force, honest, courteous to every person, closely in touch with their community, and led by mature leaders.
Thanks for the comment Chief Couper. I’ll check it out.