Markeith Loyd is in custody on suspicion of murdering his ex-girlfriend and murdering an Orlando police lieutenant. Another officer, while searching for the suspect, died in a motorcycle crash.
While the facts of this case are still being determined, State Attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, Aramis Ayala, stated in recent media reports that the case has its roots in domestic violence: “What my office has not and will not lose sight of is these tragedies all stemmed from domestic violence — and I take domestic violence very seriously,” Ayala said, adding that she has created a specialized unit to combat domestic violence.
While domestic violence is certainly a serious problem, the zeal to eradicate the problem should not be used to persecute the innocent. Suspects are not-guilty until proven otherwise. Dramatic cases, such as the Loyd incident, should not justify overly aggressive law-enforcement tactics despite the best of intentions.