
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 2, 1994                    TAG: 9405280201 
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS                     PAGE: 06    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Medium 
DATELINE: 940602                                 LENGTH:

ARE RIGHT PROCEDURES USED TO CATCH SUSPECTS?

{LEAD} During my long affiliation with the Norfolk Branch of the NAACP, numerous times I have been assigned to fact-finding missions, especially when death has been the result of police action.

The mission usually is four-fold in purpose: 1) what happened? 2) where did it happen? 3) why did it happen? and 4) could it have been avoided?

{REST} Meeting with the Internal Affairs and other law enforcement offices, two concerns were mentioned that I was assured would be thoroughly looked into concerning the Anthony Brown case: 1) Did the officer follow the department proper procedure before the shooting? 2) Could there be a fault or lack in the procedures used?

Immediately after Mr. Brown's death, I made an effort to touch base with everyone involved in this tragic episode in order to obtain the facts. Prior to Mr. Brown's case, I was asked to look into the death of Vernon Hicks, who died while in police custody Nov. 2, 1993, at the Tidewater Psychiatric Institute.

I recall three other cases of similar circumstances which was my task to get the facts on each, including a 71-year-old woman killed by the SWAT Team on Fremont Street. Each one died as a result of police gunfire except Vernon J. Hicks, who died after a scuffle with police and employees at the Psychiatric Institute on Kempsville Road.

As to the erratic behavior of Anthony Brown at the Bay Chevrolet lot where this incident originated, I said at the time that no one would have to be a psychiatrist or sociologist to know that Anthony Brown was a mental case.

Had this information been given when the police were called, the outcome might have been different.

As one involved in four deaths as a result of police gunfire, the question I am asking is: If wild vicious animals can be subdued, recaptured and returned to their cages, is it possible that similar techniques can be used to subdue mentally disturbed people and return them to the proper institutions or hospitals where they belong instead of the funeral home?

If the proper procedures used resulted in the five mentioned deaths, isn't it worthwhile asking, are the right procedures being used?

Rev. L.P. Watson

Legal Redress Committee

Norfolk Branch NAACP

by CNB