Responding to the letter by Michael Berry and Berit Palmer, (
According to Durango Police Department transcripts, an officer spoke with Tom Petit in the afternoon on that fateful day. Tom expressed remorse for the note and explained that he had let his emotions get the better of him.
He offered to sit with the couple, apologize and work things out. The officer said he would check with Berry and Palmer and get back to him, which he later did.
They refused to sit and meet with Tom and instead chose to press charges, resulting in the police issuing a summons which Tom agreed to pick up the next morning. Within an hour the tragedy occurred.
I guess the statement that Berry and Palmer would “like to engage in a civil debate” was not quite true. It appears that saying Tom Petit was “unwilling” to do so was also a falsehood. Their unwillingness to meet with Tom to discuss and resolve the matter did, in my opinion, contribute directly to his fateful decision.
Now, to pour salt in the wound, the couple still parade around the Durango Recreation Center with their anti-Trump T-shirts, which I find in poor taste and lacking in sensitivity.
Tommy was a very successful, intelligent, fun, and loving friend and husband. He is missed by many. By the way, he voted for Obama in 2008.
Todd Patterson
Durango
