James Wells: Don’t forget impact of shooting on the officers

Re “Mother grieves over life, death of troubled son shot by police” (Front page, May 22): I enjoyed Jeff Jardine’s article, and I agree with all of his input and what Modesto Police Chief Galen Carroll said. What is missing is what officers Tom Fara and Brent Salyer couldn’t say and how this cataclysmic event effected these officers.

I’m sure they didn’t wake up that Saturday morning and say to one another, “OK, let’s go out and kill a 24-year-old who has a troubled past and a young son.” What I am sure of is that what happened to these officers was their worse nightmare. They will relive the events of this tragic encounter for the rest of their lives. In ways that many of us don’t realize, the officer is the victim, too.

Most police officers I have talked to want to save lives, not take them. To be forced to take another’s life is almost the worst thing that can happen to an officer. The only thing worse is being shot.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 1:02 PM with the headline "James Wells: Don’t forget impact of shooting on the officers."