Tuesday night a veteran San Jose police officer, Michael Johnson, was killed while investigating a suicide attempt. This was the first death in the San Jose police department in 14 years. The last police death in San Jose was a man who was in Johnson’s training group in the police academy.
Police soon identified the suspect as Scott Dunham, the man who was the subject of the suicide attempt. This then led to a massive investigation in order to find him. With the collaboration of neighboring police forces, investigators broke into Dunham's apartment with explosives and used a robot to find his dead body. Police are still unsure as to how Dunham died. It is possible that he was injured during a gunfight between him and the slain officer.
"This person had the nerve, the audacity, to shoot at our officers who were on a call for assistance," said San Jose police Chief Larry Esquivel. It was confirmed that Dunham was drinking. Although considered a “nice man” he did have a history of mental illness and abuse.
In all, this tragic event can tie back to many common themes in the news. It seems to be more common to have a mistrust in the police as police deaths are becoming more evident in the media. In addition, it brings to light issues with gun violence in America. Would this have happened if there were stricter gun laws? Since Dunham had a history with violence, should he have been allowed to obtain a gun license?
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