TAKE a LOOK at how low some have sunk as humans….!
By Alexis Huicochea
arizona Daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.14.2009
Police call the actions of a local punk-rock band disgraceful after they chose to use a photo of slain Officer Erik Hite to promote their music.
The album, titled “Kill a Cop for God,” bears an Arizona Daily Star news photo that shows a wounded Hite lying on the ground with two officers administering aid.
Hite died after being shot by a gunman who led police on a crosstown chase last year.
The Star did not give the group, dubbed Awful Truth, permission to use the photo, Managing Editor Teri Hayt said.
“It’s a violation of copyright, and we have not, and would not, give permission for this photo to be used in any way,” Hayt said. “We have communicated with the band to take the necessary steps to get the image removed from sites that display and sell it.”
A song on the album also pays tribute to “the cop killers” and mentions John Montenegro Cruz, who killed Tucson police Officer Patrick Hardesty in 2003, and David Delich, who is accused of killing Hite.
Awful Truth singer David Stine said the album was put out in December. Its cover was meant to be “dark humor,” he said.
Stine said he does not apologize to anyone it may have offended.
“It’s a pretty serious picture, and the topic itself is, too,” he said. “It’s really dark humor, and as much as anybody else, we don’t particularly like cops, so we made a song about it.”
Capt. Clayton Kidd, Tucson police chief of staff, said he did not find anything humorous about the way the photo was used.
“What part of an officer giving his life is humorous?” Kidd said. “I ask for the community’s support in recognizing this is an absolute disgrace to Officer Hite, who gave his life defending our community.
“While they may have certain beliefs that they want to express, the venue in which they expressed it is disgusting, and I’m outraged.”
Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 573-4242 or [email protected].