The killing of Deshira Selimaj

It is truly a tragedy when a police officer is forced to fire a weapon in the line of duty. It is a tragedy not only for the family involved, but for the entire community, and it is an action no officer wants to take.

There are some in the community who question the actions of the Henderson police on Feb. 12, when one of our officers was forced to fire his weapon in the line of duty and kill 42-year-old Deshira Selimaj. While tragic, we welcome an honest look at the facts of this case or any actions by our officers.

The facts of this case are not in dispute. The officers encountered a woman with a knife. After repeated commands to put the knife down, she not only refused but lunged at the officers with the deadly weapon.

But even when the actions of the officers in the Feb. 12 shooting were ruled justified by seven citizens during a Clark County coroner's inquest, there are those who continue to question the process and heap allegations without any evidence.

On its national Web site, the American Civil Liberties Union states that the protection of the Bill of Rights is the mission of the group. It concerns me when Gary Peck, the executive director of the Nevada ACLU, claims that the Clark County coroner's inquest process is a sham. That criticism is ironic, given that the ACLU played a part in creating the inquest process 30 years ago.

This process allows the details of an incident to be revealed in public and reviewed by regular citizens to determine if the actions of the officers were justified. Our community is one of the few in the country that allows a public review of the details of an incident like the one on Feb. 12. In most communities, a grand jury, behind closed doors, reviews the details of an officer-involved shooting.

Mr. Peck wants to add a cross-examination of the witnesses to this process. This would create an adversarial process instead of the fact-finding process that now exists. The ACLU's mission is preserving rights; but Mr. Peck seems to think that trampling on a police officer's Fifth Amendment rights, in order to protect another person's rights, is in keeping with his organization's mission. I would think that the ACLU would try to preserve everyone's rights, including the rights of police officers who dedicate their lives to helping others.

For nearly a decade, we have heard the same refrain from Mr. Peck. What we have not seen is evidence, only rhetoric. Our community is not served by those making critical statements without facts, trying to push their agenda.

Last May, the name of Sgt. Henry Prendes was added to the Nevada Police Officers Memorial, reminding everyone how dangerous it is to be a police officer. Sadly, even Sgt. Prendes' actions were questioned after he responded to a call and was gunned down.

Every day, officers face the threat of being wounded and killed in the line of duty while encountering people with knives, guns or other weapons. In 2006, the same year Sgt. Prendes was murdered, 47 other police officers from across the country were killed.

Every year more names are added to police officer memorials. But each day, Henderson police officers patrol our streets and face that potential life-threatening danger with only one mission: to keep all of us safe. When a situation arises, our officers run toward the incident in an attempt to resolve the problem.

Officers are faced with life-and-death decisions in a blink of an eye, and they are trained to protect others as well as themselves. Officers have been wounded and killed in the line of duty while encountering people with knives. When faced with a person with a knife, officers are trained to meet that deadly force with a firearm.

Despite those dangers, it was noted by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies during our reaccreditation in March how much restraint Henderson police officers show when confronted with violent situations and the low number of complaints filed.

Henderson police officers are some of the best-trained and best-equipped in the country. Each day they pin on a badge and patrol our community, putting their lives on the line for people they have never met. They are committed to do it. In the face of rising criticism from a very vocal minority, our officers continue to do their jobs.

Each day these officers face life-and-death decisions that require quick action. Last Saturday, a Henderson officer rushed into a local restaurant after hearing on the radio that a customer had suffered a heart attack. The officer arrived before paramedics and, using his training with an automated external defibrillator, helped save the man's life. And that is but one example of many.

Every day our officers help people. Our officers are in the schools, teaching our children DARE classes, giving out crime-prevention tips at public events, and helping communities set up Neighborhood Watch programs.

We must always remember that the events of Feb. 12 were a tragedy for everyone involved and for our community. We must also remember that each day our officers put their lives on the line to protect our community.

Richard Perkins is chief of the Henderson Police Department.