While the full details of today’s shooting at the entrance to the Chester County Courthouse and Justice Center have not been vetted, questions will have to be answered whether the sheriff department’s officer who fatally shot a man who brandished a knife and stabbed another officer in the arm and hand were justified in their response.
As the great grandson, grandson, and brother of police officers, I understand the dangers of the job. Nevertheless, as a lawyer and advocate for crime victims, individuals injured or killed in such instances are themselves the victims of assault and battery and should follow the investigation and seek representation to determine whether any federal civil rights of the victim have been violated.
We do not know all the details of the incident at the Court House, but the survivors of Curtis Smith also will need answers, and questions about his mental stability, given his previous attempt to climb over the White House fence will be just one avenue to examine.