Was shooting Matthew Speese justified?

I have read a lot of reports, too many of them, where police had to face off with combat veterans. Most of them end the way Matthew Speese's life did. Police have a very difficult job to do and we cannot ignore it is dangerous for them to have to come face to face with an armed combat veteran. Most of the time they know it will not end well. The problem is, it does end well for a lot of veterans and they finally get the help they need.

This editorial in Grand Rapids Press points out that Speese had dropped his gun. He reached for something in his belt when he was shot. It turned out to be a knife. Why not use a taser on him instead of bullets? Why not wait until they knew what it was? They had their weapons drawn and pointed at Speese. Why not wait one split second to find out what it was? We can ask a lot of questions but even if we ask ourselves what we would have done, we will never know for sure what that would have really been.


This issue needs to be addressed in all urgency. There have been increased face offs between veterans and law enforcement. The issue of why they reach this point at all needs to be addressed before there are more in crisis and more lives of cops on the line.

Editorial: Why the police shooting of Matthew Speese was justified, but calls attention to veterans' needs
Published: Wednesday, June 29, 2011
By The Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board

Police are frequently called to make split-second decisions in confusing circumstances.
So it was with the death of Matthew Speese.

Police shot and killed Mr. Speese at his home in Montcalm County June 1 after he repeatedly threatened officers. Montcalm County Prosecutor Andrea Krause made the right decision by clearing the officers involved of any criminal wrong-doing.

Too much second-guessing of police work after the fact will only lead to hesitations that can be dangerous to law enforcement and the general public. Law enforcement officials should not have free rein to do anything, of course. However, society should recognize their duties carry special burdens and agonizing decisions. The facts in this case support the officers’ actions as self defense.

The death of Mr. Speese offers another lesson: the need to provide good psychological care to military veterans. The 47-year-old Mr. Speese, a Marine, served in the Gulf War and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He had suicidal tendencies. In fact, a suicide threat led police to Mr. Speese’s home near Howard City after he called a Veterans Crisis Line.

In the call, he threatened to kill himself and said he would shoot police officers if they responded.
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Why the police shooting of Matthew Speese was justified