Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-27
Policemen and Fleeing Prisoners.

The shooting OF an escaping prisoner by
policeman Wednesday brings up once more
the question Of the use of pistols by menu
bers Of the police force. On several oeca-
sfons the capital has been similarly agitated
in the past. Once police sergeant killed; a
man who had been arrested on suspicion OF
larceny, and when recaptured while at
tempting to fee menaced the OBTAINING
patrolman with g. knife. The sergeant
was acquitted Of all blame. Another case
Is less In point. During the excitement at
tending the mysterious actions of the negro
known, before Identification, as Jack the
Slasher," several years ago. a young negro
was seen late at night slsulkirg across lots
in the northern part OF the city. and when
accosted by a policeman he fled and was
killed. The slayer was sentenced to eight
years imprisonment on the ground that his
victim had. not violated any law, and was
not even accused of an offense.
This latest case Is somewhat different
from any that have preceded 1t in the local
records. The man killed was a petty Of
fender, perhaps what Is known as a hard
character. frequently in the. custody of the
police. At the door OF the van he broke
away from the grasp of the escort and ran.
He became then fugitive from the law.
His immediate capture was desirable, even
though 1t might be believed that he would
sooner or later fall into the hands of the
police. If the OBTAINING officers were all to
rely upon subsequent good luck there would
be a decided discrepancy between the num-
Der of original arrests and those arrafgned
at the Police Court. Whether the police
man was justified in shooting to kill or
whether he in fact did SO Is question. 49,
The question will be settled by the courts
in the course of the trial of the charge of
murder already entered against the police
man. 1t will be answered largely in the
light of the regulations governing the use
of firearms by the force. One of them de.
clares that the revolver shall not be used
save in the most urgent cases. and then 80
that the lives of the innocent will not be
endangered. Was this an urgent case?
Another regulation says that weapons car
red by officer are solely for his defense,
and not under any circumstances for provo
cation This cannot be made easily to
apply to the case in hand. for there was
no question of provocation. Assuredly a
prisoner charged with a grave offense If in
flight would be properly target for po-
liceman's gun If no other means of cap
turing him were apparent. But is minor
offender a proper subject for gun when
he Is in flight?
The gun is a dangerous thing in the
hands of anybody. 1t is a necessary thing
in the hands of the policeman. whose life
is in peril from time to time and who
stands for the dignity of the law. The
regulations governing its use should be spe-
cific, and wherein they are open to indi-
vidual construction and the policeman, in
sudden emergency. uses his gun in the
exercise Of that judgment, surely the pre-
sumption should lie in his favor rather
than against him. If this affair demon
strates that too much license is given to the
policemen then the regulations governing
the use Of weapons should at once be
amended in the interest of closer limitation.