Barry Levinson
There are many people who are upset about the FPD sending 6 police officers and several vehicles all the way up to Pasadena for a half day just to arrest AJ Redkey on a misdemeanor warrant, for failure to disperse during the January 18th protest over the not guilty verdicts of Ramos and Cincinelli. On June 3rd you will have the opportunity to speak before our city council. This issue is on the agenda as Item No. 9 under Regular Business. It will be very interesting if our Police Chief responds to questions from our council members if not from the public.
FPD chief Dan Hughes
Every time I think of that arrest the only two words that make any sense are; political payback! Unless, AJ is a violent felon (and based on all newspaper reports this is not the case), the FPD’s actions are indefensible. Please note that all 5 people streaming (broadcasting) over the internet during the Kelly Thomas not guilty verdict protest on January 18th, 2014 were arrested by the FPD. Coincidence or payback! Remember it was reported that those that were arrested that day while in the police van were heckled by the FPD’s finest with the chant….Not Guilty, Not Guilty! If true just another example of the total lack of professionalism of some of our men and women in blue. I believe that story because I personally know a woman who was not allowed to use a bathroom that day within FPD headquarters after 2 police officers asked her if she was a protester. She said she was peacefully protesting and they told her to take a hike. This woman had major surgery a few days prior and any fool could see that medically she was not doing well. I happened to talk with her right after this alleged innocent and I believe her story 100%. But I guess it was not those 2 officers day to serve and protect the public.
Dan you must be so proud of those 2 officers for refusing a sick woman the “privilege” to use our taxpayer funded FPD bathroom as well as those officers in full riot gear taunting those arrested protesters. A reasonable person would begin to notice a pattern of harassment, by taunting some of the citizens they come into contact with. We all witnessed for ourselves the taunting of Kelly Thomas by Officer Ramos on July 5th, 2011. Instead of police training Dan, how about sending those officers to a class with “Miss Manners”? How about a civics class that teaches your officers the meaning of the words, public servants?
Dan I know a half days pay for 6 highly paid FPD officers for a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an activity that occurred 4 months prior, may not seem like a lot of money to you since you make almost $200K a year plus another over $100K in benefits. However, it makes us taxpayers feel like we had our pockets picked by the FPD.
piece of cake
The other words that I cannot get out of my head are these; 2013 FPD Supervisor of the Year, Sergeant Kevin Craig! You know him as the highest-ranking officer participating in the KT beating death. He testified for the defense that he saw no violations of any FPD policy or procedures the night of July 5th, 2011. He came on the scene and witnessed 4 officers literally beating the life out of a 135 pound unarmed shirtless man with enough of Kelly’s blood all around to make an ER doctor sick. Yet he apparently did nothing to stop this totally unnecessary and senseless beating.
Question to Dan Hughes. Since your award winning Sergeant Craig and your FPD training officer testified under oath, that all officers conducted themselves within prescribed FPD policies and procedures, why sir did you fire Ramos, Cincinelli and Wolfe? Either they did something terribly wrong that night or they did not. You cannot continue to have it both ways. You cannot continue to state that you took care of the problem while you never have admitted any bad acts by those 6 men!
We also know based on the testimony of a Fullerton fireman that Sergeant Craig nor any of the other 5 involved officers directed paramedics to help Kelly Thomas to give him the much needed immediate medical attention he desperately needed that night.
I ask everyone who reads this message to go out and tell at least 10 or your friends to watch the video of our meeting last night. Watch the video of the May 20th meeting concerning the Assessment of the Sex Offender Ordinance and see how rude and disrespectful our Mayor can be. We have work to do and we must start right now!
—BARRY LEVINSON
#1 by Albert on June 3, 2014 - 10:23 am
They had it in for AJ just like they had it in for Kelly.
#2 by bus fare on June 3, 2014 - 12:40 pm
Come on and take a free ride. AJ got one.