‘SHOOT TO WOUND’ OFF TARGET

'Shoot to Wound' Off Target

A bill introduced by State Sen. David Paterson that would require police officers to shoot to wound suspects, rather than kill them, is a misguided initiative that shows no understanding of the circumstances in which cops may have to resort to deadly force.

Mr. Paterson, who is the Senate's Minority Leader, first introduced the bill in the wake of the fatal shooting of Amadou Diallo by police seven years ago. It is getting more attention than past editions of the legislation did because he has been chosen by Eliot Spitzer as his running mate in the Democratic primaries for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

The bill runs counter to Mr. Paterson's reputation for being a thoughtful and conscientious legislator. It makes the assumption that police have the marksmanship ability to disable armed suspects without killing them, and the time in which to make the assessment that this can be done without placing their own lives in jeopardy.

A gun battle on the streets offers none of the optimal conditions of the police firing range, where cops can take aim knowing that lighting conditions are good, their targets are stationary and they are in no peril. And a suspect wounded in the arm or leg - Senator Paterson's suggested targets for officers - would still be capable of shooting a cop or his or her partner.

Even had such a law been in effect seven years ago, it probably wouldn't have prevented Mr. Diallo's death. The fact that only 19 of the 41 shots fired by four cops struck him makes clear that precision is an elusive quality in that kind of situation, and so even if they had been shooting to wound, one or more of their bullets might have struck a major artery.

The failures that led to Mr. Diallo's death had to do with insufficient training and supervision - the four cops involved were working together for the first time and without a supervisor present - and were the product of a foolhardy attempt by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Police Commissioner Howard Safir to radically expand the NYPD's Street Crime Unit while scrapping the careful screening and training of members of that unit that had made it effective.

City cops rarely shoot at suspects without justification, proving that they exercise good judgment about employing deadly force. It makes no sense to put a restraint upon them that could make already dangerous situations even more perilous for them.

As this newspaper went to press Feb. 27, Senator Paterson was meeting with the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police. We hope his conversation offers him added justification - beyond the political headache the bill has caused him, with Mr. Spitzer among those denouncing it - for withdrawing this ill-conceived legislation.