RUBEN SALAZAR

As a former colleague of Ruben Salazar in The Times’ newsroom, I was dismayed that you published book reviewer Floyd Salas’ hysterically false account of Rube’s death (“Always Running” by Luis J. Rodriguez, March 7). He wrote that “a cop went into a bar where Ruben Salazar, the most important Mexican-American journalist of the time, was sitting and shot him in the face with a tear-gas gun--blowing his head off and silencing him forever.”

I hold no brief for the officers involved in that tragedy, but the fact is that they blindly and recklessly shot into the bar from outside, with no intention of hitting or silencing Salazar.

Look it up, and please do a little fact-checking before running such irresponsible and inflammatory accusations.

LINCOLN HAYNES

RANCHO PALOS VERDES