That was the number of deputies and other law enforcement officers at the arraignment of Brian Nichols yesterday. Nineteen deputies, most of them armed, some in bulletproof vests. Nichols was in shackles, but apparently they were taking no chances. Nineteen guards was overkill. Do you think that maybe the whole thing could have been avoided if the Fulton County Courthouse had given a prisoner who had been found with shanks the previous day more than one female deputy (whom he outweighed by about 80 pounds) to escort him? Lest you think that's a sexist statement, I'd say the same thing about a 5'2", 120 pound male deputy trying to escort a guy who was 6'1" and 200 pounds, martial arts trained and a former college football player. It was the size mismatch that was the problem, not the deputy's gender, and there should have been at least two deputies escorting a potentially violent prisoner like Nichols.
I saw that "The Purpose-Driven Life" has risen to number 2 on the book charts. Apparently a lot of people are curious about the book that Ashley Smith used to talk Nichols into surrendering. It's a nice little unexpected publicity boost for the book's author, Rick Warren. You couldn't buy that kind of exposure.
3 comments:
I read that she will get at least $10,000. in reward money. The other agencies need to cough it up.
I read the jacket of the Purpose Driven book at the bookstore, and immediately dropped it back on the table. Ended up with The Kite Runner, a best seller about Afghanistan.
Well, it is published by Zondervan, which tells you it's a Christian book. If that's not your cup of sacramental wine, that's okay.
You're right, those other agencies who offered rewards should pony up.
Sexism Schmeckism, a small woman deputy has no business trying to handle a big, crazy felon.
Those Atlanta hicks in charge of courthouse security need to be fired from the top down so they can hire some professionals who have a lick of sense.
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