Letter: ‘(Kevin) Peterson himself ultimately is responsible for his death’

Vancouver resident Ann Donnelly shares her perspective on the lawsuit filed by the family of Kevin Peterson against the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and others

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

The family of Kevin Peterson, killed in a confrontation with CCSO officers in October 2020, is suing the County, then-Sheriff Atkins, and the officers themselves. The wrongful-death suit will go to trial October 30. As the trial proceeds, let’s recall why Peterson encountered law enforcement, leading to his death.

The “why” leads us back to decisions Peterson himself made. He attended an advantaged school, Union High School, where some of his peers were earning scholarships to good colleges. But Peterson decided to go another route. Father of an infant daughter, he decided to enter the illicit drug trade. He then decided to acquire a firearm from a relative and elected to boast on social media about his intent to use it on police if confronted.

But he could still have survived the confrontation with police. Instead, he decided to resist arrest when confronted by sheriff’s deputies demanding that he drop the gun

Seemingly recognizing his mistakes, he died apologizing to his loved ones, saying “I’m going to jail for the rest of my life. I’m sorry.” We are so sorry. But Peterson himself ultimately is responsible for his death.

Ann Donnelly
Vancouver