Shooting Victim Controlled Events

Re “A Question of Deadly Force,” March 31:

It ignores the responsibility of Hong Il Kim when, in fact, Mr. Kim was in control of the entire situation.

According to your article, the incident started when Mr. Kim cut off several motorists and a reluctant officer initiated a traffic stop. If Mr. Kim had stopped, the entire incident would have been avoided. Mr. Kim continued in a reckless manner, driving at speeds approaching 100 mph. For 30 miles Mr. Kim had the opportunity to pull over and stop. He refused. Mr. Kim ended up in a mini-mall, where officers continued to order Mr. Kim to stop. He refused.

Then, from the pictures in the paper, it appears that two police cars rammed Mr. Kim’s vehicle and pinned it at the entrance to a parking space. In that parking space appear to be two officers (picture No. 3). With a car on each side of his red Toyota 4-Runner, two police cars behind and two police officers in front of him, Mr. Kim had nowhere to go. According to your article, Mr. Kim proceeded to “jam” his vehicle into low gear and move forward at the police officers. Mr. Kim had nowhere to go; the only thing he was going to do was smash two police officers into a brick wall.

Mr. Kim didn’t give the police officers an option. Mr. Kim was in control of the entire situation.

JIM CHARLESWORTH

Costa Mesa