Excessive use of criticism

Much is being made of Windham Police Officer Jeff Smith’s decision to use a Taser to shock a high school student involved in a brawl at the start of school last Friday. The criticism is excessive.

The girl who was shocked with the Taser has gone on television and has been quoted in newspapers – including this one – saying she thought the officer used excessive force. While it must have been painful dealing with the after-effects, it is a reach to think the officer overstepped his bounds by using a stun gun.

Desiree Yelitz, 18, and a 15-year-old girl, whose name is not being released since she is a minor, were engaged in what sounds like a fearsome brawl prior to Officer Smith’s action. In trying to break up the fight, one of the girls knocked Smith in the face with an elbow. With 30 students wrapped in a circle watching the brawl, fists flying and Smith unable to break the girls up, Smith resorted to the stun gun. The Taser device immobilized Yelitz immediately, and allowed Smith to regain control of the scene, something law enforcement must do quickly and by any means possible.

It is understandable that Yelitz is perturbed with the stunning, but the alternatives could have been worse. The officer could have used his fists or a club, which would have inflicted very painful and possibly permanent marks on Yelitz’s body. Isn’t a few hours of discomfort the better price to pay?

Beyond Yelitz’s lingering discomfort, the sad episode has been disconcerting for all involved. The parents of the girls probably don’t appreciate their daughters being involved in such a fight. And the Windham police would probably like to use their time solving crimes rather than fielding questions from reporters and concerned parents.

Plus, people who care about the reputation of the Windham schools probably don’t appreciate this negative publicity. Clearly, no one has won.

Share the Road

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s bumper stickers are everywhere: “Share the Road.” This week in Standish one driver should have heeded those words. If the driver had, a Standish bicyclist could have been spared a lot of pain and discomfort.

Michael Tetrault, 45, of Standish, was minding his own business riding to the right of the white line on Route 114 in Standish Sunday when out of the blue a blue minivan clipped him in the ribs. He was rushed to the hospital but luckily received no serious injuries from the crash. Obviously, someone wasn’t “sharing the road” when they should have been.

Unfortunately, this serves as a reminder that we should all be more careful when bicyclists pass us. Slowing down and giving a wide berth could save someone a lot of grief.

-John Balentine, editor