Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-15

today were confronted with
strongly opposed views on the
fatal shooting Of q purse
snatching suspect by a police
man Tuesday.
The officers action was de-
scribed as courageous" by two
organizations but two others
requested a full investigation"
OF the incident.
The policeman, Pvt. Frank
Klimecke, was defended by O.
Virginia Senator and the Met
ropolitan Washington Citizens
Crime Commission, which COM
mended the rookie officer for
prompt and courageous assist
ance /. rendered to a victim
of crime"
Democratic Senator Robert
son said every policeman had
a duty to shoot, II necessary,
TO stop a felon who has re-
fused to honor a command to
halt.
The two groups which asked
Commissioner Walter N. To-
briner for an investigation are
the District branch Of the Ma
tional Association for the Ad-
vancement Of Colored People
and the Washington Urban
League.
Tobriner Retlcent
The Rev. Z. Franklin Jack
son. president Of the District
NAACP, said after q closed
conference with Mr.. Tobriner
that I'VE told him that the
community was alarmed and
disturbed about the apparent
trigger-happiness Of some
policemen"
Mr.. Tobriner declined to say
anything after the closed meet
ing except that he would make
q determination later as to
what, If anything. should be
DONE"
Also present at the meeting
In addition to the Rev. Mr..
jackson were Sterling Tucker,
executive director Of the WASH
ington Urban League: Frank
Reeves, an attorney for the
NAACP, and the Rev. Edward
Hailes, the new executive secre-
tary Of the District NAACP.
One Of the shootings Mr..
jackson and the others pro-
tested was the killing Tuesday
Of James c. Wall.
I'VE feel no rookie should be
allowed to earn his spurs by
killing q citizen" said Mr..
jackson.
The other incident discussed
at the meeting with Mr.. To-
briner was the shooting and
wounding Of George z. Wheeler
recently on Independence ave-
nue. when an off-duty police
officer was trying to make an
arrest for a traffic violation.
Mr.. Tucker said after the |
meeting with Mr.. Tobriner that |
because of the Wall case 81
would be afraid to run for a
bus now. ! think the whole
situation is deplorable."
Police AssaIIed
Mr.. jackson said that in the
Wall shooting the policeman
had no opportunity to get a
description of the suspect but
just shot at q man he saw
running"
Mr.. Reeves said that police
here are prosecutor, Judge
and executioner."
Mr.. Jackson also protested
that in the Wall case mo warn
ing shot was fired and the
policeman aimed to kill. He
could have shot the man in
the leg instead Of the head"
A coroner's inquest ruled
that the shooting Of Wall was
"justifiable homicide"
Mr.. Jackson said he told
Mr.. Tobriner that he felt that
an investigation Of these
shootings should be conducted
by persons not connected with
the police department.
Mr.. Reeves said that there
is Just as much justification for
an independent probe of the
shootings as there was for an
Investigation by q special COM
mittee Of the riot at District
Stadium on Thanksgiving Day.
Pvt. Klimecke, q rookie po-
liceman assigned to the Tenth
Precinct, shot Wall, q 2l-year-
old ex-conVct, late Tuesday in
the l400 block of Fairmont
street NV. Wall had been
pointed out by q pregnant
woman as the man who took
her purse. He was trying to
elude two policemen when he
was shot.
Robert e. Mclaughlin, crime
commission president, said his
group unanimously adopted a
resolution noting with con-
Germ" the criticism Of Pvt.
Klimecke for performance Of
his duty. His pursuit Of the
suspected criminal as well as
his aid TO the victim was his
duty. the resolution maintained.
Senator Robertson deplored
the bleeding hearts" for the
felon who had committed rob-
berry by force while mot one