Columnist Joecks misses mark on analysis of Tashii Brown case

Normally, I give kudos to Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks for his insightful and well-reasoned commentaries on hot-button political issues and public employee malfeasance. But I beg to differ with Mr. Joecks’ Sunday column arguing that a Clark County grand jury voted correctly when it decided last week not to indict former Metro officer Kenneth Lopera on criminal charges in the death of an unarmed man.

Mr. Joecks wrongly hypothesizes that illicit narcotic use by Tashii Brown — rather than multiple stun-gun blasts and an illegal chokehold Mr. Lopera used against the victim — was the primary cause of the tragedy on May 14, 2017. Why then did the Clark County coroner rule the death a homicide, instead saying only that drug use “may have” increased Mr. Brown’s odds of not surviving the deadly encounter? Mr. Lopera resigned from Metro while under investigation.

The jury’s decision, while not a surprise, was disappointing. However, one can not blame everyday-citizen jurors when the onus is on the state, which has the power to indict a ham sandwich if prosecutors choose to hold evildoers responsible for their actions. Until the problem of police misconduct is adequately addressed, their often brutal and unjustified misbehavior will continue without fear of decisive discipline.

Case in point: There is irrefutable evidence — videotape of several uniformed Mesa, Arizona, police officers viciously beating an unarmed, non-resisting man, simply because they seemingly had nothing better to do that day. Instead of being fired or forced to resign, the offending officers are on paid administrative leave even though the abhorrent beat down occurred several months ago.