Platypus

There's already two strongly-entrenched sides developing: The "cops screwed up" side against the "there's nothing cops could have done to prevent this" side.

I wasn't on the Ridge at the time this accident occurred; I was driving back from Oroville where I was covering a court hearing. But when I got back into the office, I became involved in the process of adding updates to the web stories with information coming from police scanners and reporters (or editors) on the scene.

But something was different this time around—the Web site's feature allowing readers to post comments to a story started going crazy, a level of activity this particular newspaper has not seen online before.

It's an interesting cross-section of thoughts. Here's a sampling, warts and all:

"If Police had shot him when they had him stopped before the accident occurred, an innocent life would not be lost today."

"It is amazing to me how no one ever says a word about the police/sheriff until something bad happens and then everything in the world is their fault. Our little "sleepy" town is not so sleepy and it is time people woke up to the fact things will only get worse."

"If the man was known to be armed and dangerous, then when the car stopped, and the girl got out of the car...why didn't the police shoot him? Shoot him in the leg, or how about shoot the tires out???"

"Do you honestly believe that that man would have slowed down if the cops had stopped chasing him? HE was the idiot, he was the one who killed her. I'd bet that he would have been going just as fast to where ever he was headed even if they did slow down."

"This guy Shayne has a long rap sheet. You can look it up at www.buttecourt.ca.gov. I think there is a major problem in our Justice System. He should have never been able to post bail, he has a history of violence and being a wanted criminal."

Quite honestly, I'm thrilled. Not that people are dead, but that people are actually visiting the Web site and using its resources. Generally, I've always found Post readership to be somewhat lacking in its interaction with the reporters, so online feedback is, in my eyes, a form of gratification—it's proof what we do actually has some meaning to people up here.

Even so, I've spent a long time around Internet message boards both posting and moderating, so I'm taking everything being posted with a grain of salt. Anonymity plus a general disability to easily prove you're someone you claim to be (such as a family member or friend of the victim) brings about high risks of trolling, flaming and pie fights -- Internet terminology relating to a breakdown of civil discussion.

But, what do these comments say?

First off, many people badly want to find someone to blame in this ASAP. The likely suspects:

*The Butte County Sheriff's Office for not busting down the door to Tinnel's house and grabbing him before the collision, for not shooting him at the traffic stop, for not shooting out the tires of the SUV or for not calling off the chase regardless of whether their pursuit was actually motivating Tinnel's speed or not. All of those have been suggested as alternative actions by posters.

*The Paradise Police Department, who were still responding to the scene when the collision occurred.

*Shayne Tinnel for deciding to try and make a run for it rather than face his third strike and a life prison sentence, even though he would still have to be convicted.

*Tinnel's girlfriend, Jennifer Street, the SUV's original driver, for harboring Tinnel rather than turning him in.

*Mike Ramsey and Perry Reniff for what some believe will be an eventual clearing of officer wrongdoing, although it's a state law enforcement agency (in the form of CHP) handling the accident investigation rather than various agencies in the county which handle an office-involved shooting.

*The state Legislature for not passing Kristie's Law, even though the chase would have been free and clear anyways since Tinnel was wanted for a violent felony, the one exemption in the most recent form of the bill written by Senator Sam Aanestad. (On a personal side note, anybody catch local TV's blitz on the Kristie's Law angle? I'm questioning that, especially because of the violent felony exemption)

That's just the stuff off the top of my head. A more detailed re-read likely would have produced more.

Second, I have seen some interesting questions asked by posters—such as placing dashboard cameras in police vehicles, just how clear local law enforcement policy is on police pursuits are, etc. The public can have some good ideas despite the large amount of finger-pointing dominating discussion.

Third, posters are giving the possibility of future stories in their posts. It will be interesting to see if anyone actually brings up the issue of pursuit policy to the Town Council. Or if anybody actually tries to petition for Reniff and Jerry Carrigan to lose their jobs over this.

Fourth, posters are also taking the chance to remind people of donation jars for Bogosian's family at Albertsons or the memorial fund at Butte Community Bank--both ways to help out the one person all sides are agreeing was the innocent in this entire ordeal.

All interesting stuff. It will be fun to see where this goes, and whether such use of The Post's Web site continues in the future.