Richard Chrisman, Killer Cop, Feted by PLEA at BBQ/Fundraiser This Thursday

azplea.com

No shame in PLEA's game, as you can see

​

I have to wonder if the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association would be so supportive of fired killer-cop Richard Chrisman if his victim had been white instead of Latino.

PLEA has gone all out to back Chrisman, who has kept his lips zipped about the October 5 shooting of unarmed south Phoenix resident Daniel Rodriguez. Simultaneously, the police union has taken great pains to smear Phoenix Police Officer Sergio Virgillo, the other cop present when the shooting went down.

Virgillo told investigators there was no reason for Chrisman to shoot Rodriguez and his dog. Neither were a serious threat to either officer, according to Virgillo. Chrisman currently faces charges of second-degree murder, animal cruelty, and aggravated assault over the incident.

Rodriguez's mother recently filed a notice of claim with the City of Phoenix for $30 million.

Chrisman's a PLEA member, Virgillo is not, though PLEA technically represents both men under the union's Memorandum of Understanding with the city. PLEA helped Chrisman make bail, and PLEA President Mark Spencer and PLEA lobbyist Levi Bolton have tried to influence the Maricopa County Attorney's case against Chrisman.

Spencer and Bolton made contact with MCAO liaison Keith Manning, raising the issue of the Chrisman case with him. And 48 hours after the shooting, Spencer called a detective at the PPD's Drug Enforcement Bureau to dig up dirt on Virgillo and his wife. (Spencer refused to be interviewed by MCAO investigators over the matter.)

KPHO/Channel 5 (a.k.a., "PLEA TV") later ran a piece detailing Virgillo's wife's conviction for being part of a drug trafficking scheme. According to an interview done by the MCAO with the same cop Spencer pumped for info, wiretaps on Virgillo at the time revealed he had no knowledge of his wife's lawbreaking.

Now PLEA, which has transformed itself under Spencer's watch into an anti-immigrant lobbying group, is holding a BBQ/fundraiser for Chrisman, who was recently axed by the PPD. The BBQ will take place at PLEA's offices at 1102 West Adams Street in Phoenix this Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Whether or not Chrisman is found guilty of second-degree murder, his activities have been a stain on the department. First there was the 2005 incident where he planted a crack pipe on a homeless, mentally ill African-American woman, which landed him on the MCAO's Brady list.

He should have been fired then, but he was given a day's suspension instead. Then there was his involvement in the PPD's off-duty scandal.

Bottom line: Chrisman is a bad cop, and deserves his dismissal. And PLEA, with this BBQ and its other actions, has let us all know what sort of organization it is.

My guess is that PLEA would not have been so forthcoming had Rodriguez's last name been Jones, if you catch my drift. PLEA has defined itself as anti-Hispanic, despite having a few minorities on its staff and board. This includes Bolton, who is African-American, but still cops PLEA's bigoted line toward Latinos.

Yeah, Chrisman has (or had) a Hispanic girlfriend. That doesn't spare him or PLEA in this, no matter how often Chrisman parades her before the cameras.

(I should point out that PLEA's views are not the same as all of the officers they represent, certainly. In fact, PLEA's dues-paying membership has been steadily declining over the last couple of years.)

PLEA's anti-Hispanic stance as well as PLEA's unwavering support of Chrisman will taint it for some time to come. This BBQ should be closely monitored by the press. Those who attend should be scolded for lending aid to a man who has so clearly disgraced the profession of law enforcement.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/04/richard_chrisman_plea.php

Mark Spencer's PLEA's Smears Sergio Virgillo (Again), Fundraises for Richard Chrisman

In the wake of the Phoenix Police Department's firing of Officer Richard Chrisman, the cop facing second degree murder charges in the October 5 slaying of an unarmed South Phoenix man, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association continues to smear fellow Officer Sergio Virgillo, who witnessed the shooting and told investigators that neither the victim, nor his dog (which Chrisman also killed), posed a serious threat to himself or Chrisman.

The latest sleaze tactic from PLEA comes in a post to PLEA's Web site, announcing a BBQ/fundraiser on April 7 for Chrisman. The post contains a not-so-thinly-veiled swipe at Virgillo's credibility, one that it would not surprise me to see tonight on KPHO/Channel 5, known by some detractors as "PLEA TV."

"The State's primary witness is currently part of an internal investigation regarding his veracity in a recent court proceeding," says the unsigned post.

Though the statement does not mention Virgillo by name, it's pretty obvious who's being talked about. But here's one piece of info that I hope Channel 5 uses if it runs with this latest piece of PLEA sleaze: It's dead wrong, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

PPD spokesman Steve Martos told me that there was a recent fact-finding inquiry into allegations of untruthfulness leveled against Virgillo, but whatever questions there were about Virgillo have been resolved.

"[PPD] did look into it and found no wrongdoing," explained Martos. "It did not reach the level of an internal investigation and quickly went nowhere."

I called PLEA president Mark Spencer and left a message asking for him to phone me back about the inaccuracies in the post. He has yet to return my call.

I also put in a public records request asking for any memos or reports related to the inquiry. I will report on them as soon as I have them.

This is, of course, simply PLEA's latest attempt to back PLEA member Chrisman and undermine non-PLEA member Virgillo at every possible opportunity.

Indeed, as I've previously reported, PLEA was investigated by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office regarding allegations that PLEA was involved in witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

County Attorney Bill Montgomery has closed that investigation, as PLEA's shenanigans did not rise to the level of criminality. However, there have been shenanigans.

Reports and interviews done as part of the MCAO investigation revealed that 48 hours after the Chrisman shooting, Spencer called a detective in the PPD's Drug Enforcement Bureau, where Virgillo once worked, looking for dirt on the officer.

The MCAO wanted to talk to Spencer as part of the investigation, but Spencer clammed up and lawyered up.

It was more insidious than just pimping dirt on Virgillo. According to an MCAO interview done with the MCAO's law enforcement liaison Keith Manning, both Spencer and PLEA lobbyist Levi Bolton raised the issue of the Chrisman shooting with Manning prior to current County Attorney Bill Montgomery taking office.

Manning informed them that neither he nor the soon-to-be County Attorney could comment on the matter, but Bolton and Spencer had no problem bringing up the topic. After all, PLEA had endorsed Montgomery during his run for County Attorney, and PLEA had made a donation to Montgomery's campaign.

I'm not saying Spencer, Bolton, or other PLEA operatives broke any laws, but Spencer and PLEA have actively been attempting to undermine Virgillo and bolster Chrisman, truth be damned.

Maybe the PLEA folks think that's a-OK, since Chrisman paid dues to PLEA. But as part of PLEA's agreement with the City of Phoenix, PLEA technically represents ALL police officers, not just those who pay them dues.

Plus, whatever happened to that much vaunted "brotherhood" amongst police officers? PLEA must not subscribe to that. The organization has no problem sliming Virgillo or anyone who doubts Chrisman's account of what happened on October 5.

Finally, the PLEA post whines that other Phoenix cops now under investigation haven't been fired, so why Chrisman?

The answer, of course, is a dead, unarmed man by the name of Danny Rodriguez. But I would argue the firing has come way too late. Chrisman should have been canned back in 2005, after a security camera caught him planting a crack pipe on a mentally-ill homeless woman.

If he'd been let go then, he would not be facing a second-degree murder charge today. And that's whether or not he ends up beating the rap.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/03/mark_spencers_pleas_fundraises.php

Nowakowski, Johnson say call to officer was not inappropriate

Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski and Councilman Michael Johnson say allegations that they tried to influence a witness in the case involving Phoenix police Officer Richard Chrisman are false. Chrisman is being charged with second-degree murder.

On the website for the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, items posted suggest that Nowakowski and Councilman Michael Johnson inappropriately contacted Officer Sergio Virgillo shortly after Virgillo worked a domestic-violence call with Chrisman.

Chrisman fatally shot 29-year-old Danny Frank Rodriquez earlier this month, and, according to court records, Virgillo told investigators Chrisman needlessly killed an unarmed man who posed no threat.

On Thursday at his arraignment in Maricopa County Superior Court, Chrisman pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder and other charges.

According to a string of e-mails posted on the police union’s website, Virgillo felt uncomfortable with the calls from the elected officials.

“During this conversation, the councilmen stated things like …‘You are not going to second guess yourself…Right?; and ‘You did the right out out there … Right?,’” according to the e-mails PLEA has posted.

PLEA has suggested the call could have violated the Phoenix City Charter and that politicians are “possibly trying to exert influence over a criminal investigation.”

Nowakowski said he and Johnson did call Virgillo but were in no way trying to persuade Virgillo to do anything. Nowakowski said he always contacts people involved in serious police situations to express support for the Police Department and “let them know they’re in my prayers.”

The allegations are PLEA’s attempt to discredit Virgillio as a sound witness in a case against one of the union’s members, Nowakowski said.

It’s a “game to try to have us call Sergio a liar,” Nowakowski said. “They wanted us to say something bad about Sergio.”

PLEA represents Chrisman and helped post the officer’s bail shortly after he was arrested on the murder charge. Virgillio is not a member of PLEA.

“It’s just crazy politics,” Nowakowski said. “Mark (Spencer) is doing what he can to protect his PLEA guy.”

Johnson said he was commending Virgillo for "stepping forward" and "telling his side of the story."

"It's good for an officer who sees something wrong to step forward and tell the truth," Johnson said.

Johnson would not comment on the e-mails which he called "third party e-mails written between a sergeant and a lieutenant based on an alleged conversation with Sergio and written to discredit him (Sergio)."

--Lynh Bui, lynh.bui@arizonarepublic.com

http://www.azcentral.com/community/Blog/PHXBeat/102492