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Police killings are horrible acts of hate

THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Law enforcement officials investigate at the scene of a shooting, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, in Urbandale, Iowa. Authorities apprehended a man Wednesday suspected in the early morning killings of two Des Moines area police officers who were shot to death while sitting in their patrol cars in what authorities described as separate ambush-style attacks.
Law enforcement officials investigate at the scene of a shooting, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, in Urbandale, Iowa. Authorities apprehended a man Wednesday suspected in the early morning killings of two Des Moines area police officers who were shot to death while sitting in their patrol cars in what authorities described as separate ambush-style attacks. Charlie Neibergall AP

No matter the motive, killing a man in cold blood is an act of hatred.

On Wednesday, two Iowa police officers, Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines police Sgt. Anthony “Tony” Bemino were tragically ambushed in their squad cars.

A suspect, Scott Michael Greene, is in custody, though motives for the shootings haven’t surfaced. Greene has had other run-ins with police, some reportedly because of his alleged offensive or racist actions.

These pointless killings mark yet another time police officers were shot and killed because of their uniform.

Firearms-related police killings increased 58 percent since 2015, says the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in its preliminary 2016 fatality report.

Sixteen officers have been ambushed and killed this year, “which ties 2014 for the highest total in any year for the last two decades,” the fund reported.

It’s horrifying that this violence continues. The atmosphere of distrust between police and some members of the public must change.

There are extremes on both sides of that mistrust. It shouldn’t come to this.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Police killings are horrible acts of hate."

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