In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote a well-known document, “The Declaration of Independence,” in which he summarized the ideals of individual liberty that had been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. Jefferson set forth a list of grievances against the king in order to justify, before the world, the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.
Now comes the time, in which Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen shall publicly state that he is aggrieved against your opinion listed within Roses and thorns, dated Sunday, March 4, 2012.
It still stands to date that no one has been arrested in connection with the shooting. Not because of a cover-up on behalf of the Columbus Police Department or myself, but because of investigative techniques and methods. Under no circumstances will information be released that will impede or cause a theory of doubt, once a case goes to trial. What would happen if I said that A committed a crime and it turns out that B did it? I will never willingly supply the defense with ammunition to win a case if B is guilty. Refusing to publicize or deem “newsworthy” information that would be harmful to other interests is not grounds to receive a thorn. It could cause an adverse action on the case as critical pieces of evidence would be released.
Someone was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon and not the shooting itself. It will not take a rocket scientist to figure out this out once the case is solved and goes to trial. The fact that we ran into an uncooperative victim is the reason for the delay of a successful arrest to this date. However, rest assured that when we discover who the guilty party is, he or she will be arrested.
And let there be no doubt that this is accurate and timely information.
And, in closing,
If anyone has any information who committed this act, please contact the Columbus Police Department 244-3526 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-530-7151.
Selvain McQueen
The writer is Columbus’ police chief.
Editor’s note: Chief McQueen is splitting hairs. Mayor Robert Smith’s son, Sherman Smith, was arrested at the scene of a shooting for possession of a concealed weapon. While Smith has not been implicated in the shooting, he was taken into custody and charged at the time. We gave McQueen a thorn for withholding that public information.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
