A new corrections officer in Pierce County has been charged with second degree assault for freaking out on the road in Burien and pulling a gun on some civilians. It wasn't an official Department of Corrections gun; the man was carrying his own weapon, which he pointed at a couple (and their kid!) when their existence on the road pissed him off. So soon after watching the horrifying footage of the BART shooting in California earlier this month, we have zero tolerance for cops gone wacko. Corrections officers especially need to be able to keep cool, fair and calm, on the road or on the job; people's lives and the reputation of the local corrections system depend on it. And after reporting on thousands of lay-offs in the region, it's frustrating to hear about "paid administrative leave" for the officer who had what sounds like an psychotic break. Get that man out of the force and into heavy-duty therapy, and make him pay for it himself. Bah. more ›