Letters for December 21, 2017

Don’t ‘humanize’ John Tennis

Re “Confessions of a killer cop” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, December 14):

I’m appalled that you’ve given this monster a platform. [John Tennis] can cry about how his murder of Joseph Mann ruined his life in a dark corner by himself. His tears mean nothing compared to the suffering his actions caused the Mann family. He’s upset about his family canceling Christmas??? Seriously, how do you think the Mann family feels about never having a Christmas with Joseph Mann again? Why are you cosigning for this monster by trying to humanize him? He deserves to rot in jail for his crimes, not a platform to cry about the minimal consequences of his actions. Tennis, to answer your question, “Am I a murderer?” Yes, you are.

James Clark

Via www.newsreview.com

Exclude the killer

Re “Confessions of a killer cop” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, December 14):

This cover is a disgrace. It boggles the mind to imagine what kind of thinking led to this story and cover choice. I forced myself to read the story and the editor’s reasoning and came out none the wiser. You certainly could have just done a story with Mann’s family and excluded his killer, who appears here in an artsy photo shoot wearing a Superman shirt? In 2017, no less? Tone deaf doesn’t begin to describe this junk. Count me out of any SN&R events from here on out. I will never pick up another issue again.

Sherman Baker

via Facebook

Shock and anger

Re “Confessions of a killer cop” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, December 14):

I am just as shocked and angry about this cover as everyone else. I agree that it is a newsworthy story, but not a cover story. Maybe it would be OK if he were depicted in an orange jumpsuit, or behind bars. Shackles.

Katherine Silva Stockton

via Facebook

Article did not glorify Tennis

Re “Confessions of a killer cop” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, December 14):

Apparently I am the only one who liked this story. I would argue it’s fully possible to write about someone without glorifying them, and I think this story does a good job of showing how a cop with a troubled history came to be in the position to kill Joseph Mann that day without suggesting he was in the right. [Hosseini] clearly made an effort to tell Joseph Mann’s story and convey his family’s suffering, so to just dismiss this as glorification seems a little reductive.

Jeremy White

via Facebook

SN&R did its job

Re “Confessions of a killer cop” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, December 14):

The facts of the case were presented. Tennis’ history of complaints involving excessive use of force were openly discussed. The details surrounding his termination of employment were printed verbatim. The article acknowledges that footage of the event contradicts Tennis’s statement. This article is not sympathetic toward Tennis. It shows him as what he is and maybe gives a glimpse into how incredibly difficult and unrewarding it can be to work in law enforcement. I ride the light rail every day, and I can tell you that people like Joseph Mann are scary and unpredictable. We expect our police officers to be nice and behave perfectly all the time, but I’m here to tell you that the public they serve are volatile, violent and unpredictable. People who are “disgusted” by this article and vowing to boycott SN&R seem to be asking for a media that lambasts people instead of presenting facts.

Hannah Goin

Via Facebook