Chief Howard you have much in common with President Obama. Both of you have assumed your positions and been thrown knee-deep into a mess that someone else neglected and everyone is expecting you to clean up.. Well, that may only be partially true in your case. Your capacity as acting Chief is only on an interim basis until they find your replacement. But I know that you have tossed your name into the hat. And if you want to score points with the residents of Oakland and the good cops in the department then I suggest that you fire Sargent Pat Gonzales.Yes, I'm aware that you run the risk of alienating some people. But you can defer this matter. Remember every president or CEO has a henchman. Kennedy had his brother Bobby and Mr. Obama has Rahm Emanuel. I know there is some brass under you looking to increase their statue in the department. I also know your decision would piss off Gonzales' crony buddies on the force. But look at it this way, it would send the message to those malcontents and other sympathizers that they could be next. As for the Fraternal Order of Police, well, forget about them. They are like parents who are in denial over their kids' vices and indiscretions.
It's your watch now and you have the power to both hire and fire.
But let me make the case for Sargent Gonzales' dismissal. Chief Howard, the mission statement located right under your picture on the department home page says:
"The Mission of the Oakland Police Department is to provide competent, effective, public–safety services to all persons with the highest regard for human dignity through efficient, professional, and ethical law enforcement and crime prevention practices."
Gonzales' conduct as a career police officer in your department has profaned the good intentions of this statement, especially the part that says, ".....with the highest regard for human dignity through efficient, professional, and ethical law enforcement and crime prevention practices."
Gonzales is a bad cop, bad apple, bad seed, and snake poison in your department. I'm not even privy to his personnel record but I bet his file is as thick as those of some of your worst criminals roaming the streets of Oakland. He has betrayed everything that represents being a good cop. But more importantly he has betrayed the public trust.
For the benefit of my readers I'm going to list the shootings Gonzales has been involved in while employed with the Oakland police department. This is public information:
In March 2002 Gonzales shot his first victim, 19 year-old Joshua Russell of Hayward, after Russell and an accomplice tried to rob a man at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Burger King restaurant. Then in 2006 Gonzales shot and paralyzed 17-year-old Ameir Rollins. Mr. Rollins was shot after he cooperated with Gonzales and threw down his weapon. The city of Oakland settled with Mr.Rollins for $100,000. But before Mr Rollins received his compensation, officer Gonzales shot and killed 19 year-old Gary King in 2007.
Recently, city officials agreed to pay King’s family to make the resulting lawsuit disappear. The Oakland City Council voted and approved a $1.5 million settlement.
It’s easy to see why the city attorney opted to avoid a jury trial. While an internal investigation by the Oakland Police Department found that the killing was justified, an account by a police officer on the scene contradicted the story offered by officer Pat Gonzales, who killed King in broad daylight.
The most damaging account to Gonzales’ version comes from the first officer to arrive on the scene after Gonzales shot King. He said that when he arrived he saw Gonzalez standing two to three feet away from King, who was lying on his stomach in handcuffs. Gonzales’ gun was back in his holster. Gonzales told the officer to do CPR. “I rolled King over and conducted a pat down search where I located a revolver inside of his left shorts pocket,” the officer said in a deposition.
According to the second cop’s statement, Gonzales never told him about the gun, and didn’t warn him that King was armed before asking him to do CPR. Gonzales said that after the other officers arrived, he handcuffed King and removed King’s gun. The competing versions have not been reconciled and the discrepancy no doubt added to the City Attorney’s decision to settle the case out of court.
Chief Howard, you had a good cop stand up against Gonzales and admit the truth. Gonzales lied in his statement.. He didn't even know King had a weapon. That's why he didn't warn the other officer on the scene. And that is exactly why city lawyers settled in this case. With a fair impartial jury the lawyers knew a jury decision would have taken less time than a Nascar pit stop.
By my count Sargent Gonzales has a running tab with the city for nearly $1.6 million. Chief Howard, how much longer can the city and the police department risk having this bad cop on the streets? Could the next shooting incident cost the cash strapped city budget even more money?
If your predecessor could fire Officer Hector Jimenez for shooting 28-year-old Jody Woodfox in the back and also for fatally shooting unarmed 20-year-old Andrew Moppin, then Chief Howard you can terminate Gonzales on the grounds that he is a high risk to the public safety based on his previous patterns of gunslinging behavior. Firing Gonzales would only be taking preventative measures to avert the next potential shooting disaster that he may create for the department and the city in the future.
Larry Rollins, father of one of Gonzales' shooting victims best summed up the community's feelings about Gonzales when he said, "This man is a cancer in our community. He is a disease in the body, and he must be removed."
Chief Howard if you don't think it's possible to fire Sargent Gonzales then call him to your office and have him read the very last sentence in this article.
Gonzales, you're on a very short leash.
www.policeshootminorities.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment