Some Phoenix police officers upset with new chief's decision about uniforms

Boo-hoo...

PHOENIX -- Change is coming to the Phoenix Police Department, and some officers aren’t embracing it.

The change has to do with one of their uniforms.

The new Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia is axing the polo shirts and cargo pants.
Starting this fall the utilitarian uniform is no longer allowed on the job.

“Emotions ran the gamut, from anger to disappointment to people saying why is this being done,” said Ken Crane, V.P. of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association or PLEA.

Crane disagrees with the chief's decision.

The top brass wants to cut down on officer impersonation.

Something the chief said has been a problem in the past.

“We kind of see that as frankly a bit as a straw-man argument. All of officers took a little offense to that,” said Crane.

Crane said all of the uniforms can be impersonated, even the traditional uniform preferred by the chief.

The chief wouldn't go on camera with 3TV, but a department spokesman did.

Sergeant Trent Crump said the department made it too easy for people to impersonate the uniform with the black cargo pants and black t-shirt.

Crump said the traditional uniform unites the department and the polyester blend look is easier for community members to identify.

“As you know Arizona is known for its hot summers and when you're out there pounding a beat for 10 hours in 110-115 heat, personal comfort becomes a big deal,” argued Crane.

Crump said Phoenix police officers have worn the traditional uniform for decades and most of the officers at the South precinct chose to wear the uniform daily.

“I can't say that's an argument that's going to change his (the chief’s) decision on this,” said Crump.
The utilitarian uniform has been around for 15 years.

Crane said the cargo pants and the polo top offer comfort on the job.

“We have guys that part of their job is to chase bad guys down alleys, jump fences, sometimes get in fights with suspects, that's probably a better uniform to do that in,” said Crane.

According to Crump, uniformity is meant to boost morale.

“They're saying the morale is already been kind of low and this puts it even lower,” argued Crane.

The new uniform policy goes into affect beginning this October.

Union leaders hope the chief will change his decision and sit down with them to discuss different options.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Some-Phoenix-police-officers-upset-with-new-chiefs-decision-about-uniforms--163785986.html

Richard Chrisman BBQ at PLEA Offices Protested

from The Feathered Bastard

Protesters berate cops coming out of the Chrisman BBQ

Cops and other attendees had to run the gauntlet today at a BBQ/fundraiser for fired, killer-cop Richard Chrisman, held in an underground enclosure at the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the powerful police union that reps rank and file Phoenix police officers.

About a dozen or so protesters, led by local radio host/activist Carlos Galindo, showed up to give the BBQ-goers hell as they walked into and out of the event.

PLEA's building at 1102 West Adams St., in Phoenix

Activists chanted "Shame on you," and called cops walking past "vampires" and "murderers." Hispanic cops caught the worst of it, and were met with bullhorn blasts of "vendido" ("sell-out" in Spanish) and "Malinche," which is sort of like calling someone a Benedict Arnold en Espanol.

Just in front of the ramp leading down was a makeshift shrine for Daniel Rodriguez, the unarmed south Phoenix resident who was gunned down by Chrisman on October 5.

Chrisman was recently axed by the Phoenix Police Department, and he faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault and animal cruelty in the killing of Rodriguez and his dog.

On the sidewalk, prison abolitionist Peggy Plews wrote brightly-colored chalk messages such as "PLEA endorses police violence."

A shrine to slain South Phoenix resident Danny Rodriguez

There were occasional words exchanged between the demonstrators and those going to the BBQ, but the PPD's low-key, plainclothes Community Response Squad was on hand to keep the peace. There were no incidents.

That may change tonight when the BBQ resumes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. A lot more protesters are expected in the evening as folks get off work. Hopefully the demonstration remains peaceful.

Galindo, leading the protest against PLEA today...

Escorted by a plainclothes cop, I descended into the underground parking structure and was led to PLEA treasurer Joe Clure. He told me he wasn't going to talk with me, and then asked me to leave.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I reckon. I have to say the event seemed better attended than I expected. However, I didn't spot Chrisman or PLEA President Mark Spencer for that matter.

I'll check out the scene later on and report back here. Till then...

UPDATE: I swung by the PLEA offices later that evening to eyeball the ongoing protest. According to members of the Phoenix Police Department's Community Response Squad, there had been around 40 protesters outside the PLEA offices during the 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. shift. By the time I arrived around 8:30 p.m., the protest had shrunk to less than 20 people or so.

There had been a little drama in my absence. Some of the protesters went down an alley next to the PLEA offices, and PLEA representatives had demanded they be cited for trespassing. But it was determined that the passage was a right of way, and the matter was dropped.

PLEA representatives, annoyed by the rambunctious demonstration, which included folks harranguing the gathering on bullhorns, set up speakers and blasted loud music at the activists. The bullhorn-speaker battle had quieted by the time of my arrival.

I witnessed one tense moment when Galindo and PLEA board chairman Frank Marino faced off, but that eventually dissipated.

Out, out, damn spot: PLEA board chairman Marino hosing down the sidewalk

Officers showing up to participate in the BBQ slowed to a trickle by around 10 p.m. And the protesters finally decided to pack it in.

Sergeant Mark Schweikert of the Community Response Squad told me there had been no arrests or citations at the protest during the day.

I have to commend the CRS, which includes such veteran officers as Sergeant Al Ramirez, for keeping the peace and negotiating between the two opposing sides. No doubt the fact that so many of their fellow cops were involved made this particular demonstration a difficult one for them to handle.

Kudos also to the protesters for remaining peaceful, while getting their point across to the cops attending. PLEA's BBQ deserved the condemnation.

At the end of the evening, PLEA chairman Marino came out to hose off the chalk messages left by Peggy Plews and others. (Most had been wiped off by those who'd made them, so Marino's job was a light one.) As I watched him, I couldn't help but think that the mark of Cain both PLEA and Richard Chrisman have helped affix to the Phoenix Police Department will not be so easily washed away.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/04/richard_chrisman_bbq_at_plea_o.php#more

Protest PLEA (Police Law Enforcement Association) and Their Guests

PLEA/Chrisman protest called for by activist Carlos Galindo


This protest is in response to PLEA's irresponsible attempt to raise funds for Rogue Cop Richard Chrisman's defense after Chrisman was charged with second degree murder for allegedly shooting and killing an unarmed U.S. Citizen of Mexican descent.

We previously led protests in October in front of the Phoenix Police Department for a week straight.

We ask that you join us for three shifts of protesting!

10:00 AM-2:00 PM
5:00 PM-8:00 PM
10:00 PM-1:00 AM

Your presence is extremely important! We must continue to resist abuses by law enforcement and discriminatory behavior related to a devaluation of not just human life but Latinos and Immigrants in Arizona.

Help stop the HATE! Come help us CALL OUT the Chrisman supporters! Bring your signs or pick one up from us!

If you don't speak up now, who'll speak up when they come for you?

Wake up Arizona!!! Hell is knocking at your door!!!

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

Richard Chrisman, Killer Phoenix Cop, Canned (Finally!)

Phoenix Police Officer Richard Chrisman, who faces a second-degree murder charge in the October 5 shooting death of South Phoenix resident Daniel Rodriguez, was terminated today by the City of Phoenix.

Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sergeant Tommy Thompson issued the following statement to the press via e-mail:

"In answer to questions from the media, a Loudermill Hearing was held today for Officer Richard Chrisman. The decision was made to terminate Officer Chrisman's employment. The separation process is anticipated to conclude by early next week."

Public Safety Manager Jack Harris was looking to fire Chrisman back in early November, but Chrisman's civil attorney Kathryn Baillie, who works for the firm that represents the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, sought and received a preliminary injunction from Superior Court Judge Donald Daughton, putting plans to kick Chrisman to the curb on hold.

But on February 28, Daughton issued a minute entry, allowing Baillie to file a special action with the Arizona Court of Appeals to seek a further stay. Daughton stated that unless the Court of Appeals ruled otherwise, his preliminary injunction order would be lifted.

The Court of Appeals denied Baillie's motion for a stay on March 18, opening the way for the City to conduct a Loudermill hearing, which is the hearing of last resort before a public employee is axed.

Obviously, it didn't go too well for Chrisman.

PLEA has vigorously defended the dues-paying Chrisman, bailing him out of jail, assisting him with legal representation, and doing its best to undermine the account of the shooting offered by non-PLEA member Officer Sergio Virgillo.

Helping members with legal representation is one of PLEA's duties, of course. Sliming a fellow cop? PLEA does that for pure joy, apparently.

Both Virgillo and Chrisman responded to a 911 domestic violence call from Rodriguez's mother on October 5. Rodriguez was unarmed, though a toxicology report later showed he had meth in his system.

During the incident, Chrisman killed Rodriguez's dog and struggled with Rodriguez, eventually gunning the man down. Virgillo told investigators that neither Rodriguez nor the canine posed a threat to either officer.

Chrisman refused to speak to investigators and quickly lawyered up, with the assistance of PLEA. In addition to the second degree murder charge, he's facing a charge for aggravated assault and cruelty to animals.

Last week, Rodriguez's mother Elvira Fernandez filed a $30 million notice of claim against the City of Phoenix for the wrongful death of her son.

One wonders how much money, pain and agony could have been avoided if the City had fired Chrisman after he admitted to planting a crack pipe on a mentally ill homeless woman in 2005, an outrage that was captured by a security camera.

This grotesque, and likely criminal shenanigan landed Chrisman on the Brady List, the County Attorney's roll call of cops whose bad behavior must be disclosed to defense counsel.

Chrisman should have had his Loudermill hearing then. This is regardless of whether he is innocent or guilty of second degree murder in the 2010 Rodriguez killing.

You can anticipate the spin from PLEA and its sleazy president Mark Spencer. In fact, you may see it tonight on CBS 5/KPHO, otherwise known as "PLEA TV."

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

Phoenix police union loses members over dissension

PLEA president Mark Spencer

As the Phoenix Police Department endured one of its most turbulent years in recent history, many officers quit the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association over the union's politics and priorities.

Roughly 8 percent of members resigned from PLEA last year, which the labor group mainly attributes to officers who quit paying monthly dues to save money during the tough economy.

But others have left in protest of the union's support of Senate Bill 1070, Arizona's controversial new immigration law, or because of the ongoing, bitter battle between union leaders and Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris.

Some disenchanted with PLEA say the union's political positions and public attacks against Harris distract from what should be the labor group's main mission: to fight for better pay and working conditions for rank-and-file police officers.

PLEA President Mark Spencer said the union board expected to alienate members.

The attacks on management and passionate support for SB 1070 directly responded to what a majority of members wanted to see from union leaders, he said. SB 1070 makes it a crime to be in the state illegally and requires law-enforcement officers to detain suspected undocumented immigrants when practicable.

"There's a cost involved with doing business like that," Spencer said.

"All of our members are important, but we get our direction from the majority of members."

Spencer expects that the worst of the drops have passed and that fewer officers will leave this week, one of only two times a year city employees can quit a labor group.

PLEA added 31 members this winter and will continue to add members or recruit those who recently backed out, Spencer said.

He also said some officers no longer wanted to pay $60 in basic monthly dues to save cash in the tough economy.

"It comes in cycles," he said. "We're not aware of any mass exodus."

PLEA's membership was about 89 percent of about 2,560 eligible police officers in 2006 and spiked in recent years before dropping to 83 percent of 2,675 patrol officers in July 2010, city records show.

The city's other unions representing firefighters, management, sanitation workers, engineers and other city employees saw their memberships grow or hold steady.

Tired of rhetoric

J.R. Pool, a Phoenix police domestic-violence detective, worked for years as a PLEA representative before dropping out of the union and joining another labor organization in July.

Pool said his friends on the force feel that PLEA "negotiates through news releases" and that blasts against the Police Department alienate officers who've grown tired of the rhetoric.

"The majority is the frustration with PLEA losing focus on the patrol officer in favor of a personal agenda," Pool said. "It's ruining my reputation, and it's ruining patrol officers' reputation."

PLEA has criticized Harris' leadership and backed a lawsuit against Harris for drawing a pension as well as a salary.

Harris and the department faced a turbulent 2010, which brought multiple fraud investigations, an officer facing murder charges in the fatal shooting of an unarmed suspect, and the unsolved shooting death of a sergeant.

Money and benefits

As the bargaining unit for Phoenix police officers and detectives, PLEA is primarily responsible for negotiating salaries and benefits for patrol officers. The union also works on developing better working conditions, such as pushing for changes in how the city handles internal investigations and other policy issues.

PLEA representatives go to officer-involved shootings, represent officers accused of misconduct and help officers accused of crimes get legal assistance.

The Police Department budget is about $419 million, or 43 percent of the city's more than $1 billion general-fund operating budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

The union helped play a role in sparing officers from citywide layoffs as Phoenix was facing a more than $277 million budget shortfall last year.

All other city departments faced layoffs except police and firefighters. They did, however, agree to 3.2 percent in wage reductions along with all the other city employees.

Phoenix officials had little to say about the loss of PLEA membership, saying the city is prohibited from influencing how employees choose to be represented and will cooperate with whatever group officers officially support.

Pool paid dues as a PLEA member for 22 years before quitting.

Part of the problem, he said, was the union's bloglike website, run by the PLEA board, which recently characterized the Police Department as corrupt and "doomed to failure and a cycle of destruction that will continually repeat until change is brought about."

"It was the constant negativity coming from PLEA that started wearing on me over time," Pool said.

Nick Wubker, a Phoenix drug-enforcement detective, made his concerns known in direct letters to Spencer about how patrol officers perceive PLEA.

The former member explained that he was leaving the union because "the members of PLEA are deeply concerned about what is happening with PLEA, your alignment with certain political figures, your political stances on non-PLEA-related issues, and your inability to convey the true concerns of the members," he wrote in one letter.

The FOP is growing

As PLEA has been losing members, the Phoenix Fraternal Order of Police has seen its ranks grow from fewer than 300 in 2008 to 503 active members in 2010. The increased membership is encouraging the FOP to consider trying to push PLEA aside.

Leaders at the FOP and other police groups said PLEA's rhetoric unnecessarily portrays the department as dysfunctional.

The Phoenix FOP lodge could challenge PLEA as the bargaining unit for rank-and-file police officers after the city's current contract expires in 2012, according to Jim Mann, executive director for the FOP's Arizona Labor Council.

The FOP is a national law-enforcement organization with more than 325,000 members around the U.S., including at least 2,200 lodges that serve as bargaining units for their police departments.

The FOP has been aggressively poising itself for the fight, posting recruitment videos on YouTube and material on police-station bulletin boards. PLEA and the FOP also have been dueling through surveys and polls.

In December, PLEA leaders posted the results of their latest membership poll, which they said showed "over 80 percent of Phoenix police officers believe Harris should be fired."

Critics of PLEA said the no-confidence vote was merely a small percentage of PLEA membership, not of all sworn officers. Others said they never had a chance to vote.

The FOP countered with a survey of 410 Phoenix voters that indicated 65 percent of those polled supported Harris, while 53 percent of those polled disagreed with how Spencer did his job.

'Let members decide'

Despite the turmoil, it's unclear whether a majority of Phoenix police would switch from PLEA to the FOP.

Brian Livingston, president of the Arizona Police Association, composed of PLEA and dozens of other state law-enforcement unions, said PLEA will be fine.

"Let the members decide," said Livingston, who served as PLEA chairman in 1999 when he was shot in the line of duty and forced to retire.

"I've every confidence they will choose PLEA because of their history and where the organization is going," Livingston added.

Lt. Mark Hafkey, president of the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association, said his union, the bargaining unit for police supervisors, recently changed its bylaws to accept disgruntled PLEA members as associates. He also said dues are less expensive than PLEA's.

Hafkey said he disagrees with PLEA's political stances, although he questioned whether pushing PLEA out would be the right decision for the city's police.

"I'm not sure people want that," Hafkey said. "PLEA was a respected union for years. It wasn't until a few years ago . . . people started thinking about supporting FOP."

Vice Mayor Thelda Williams said that the struggle between PLEA and the FOP has been going on for decades and that she expects PLEA will come out on top as it has in the past.

In 1988, PLEA emerged victorious from a similar challenge by the FOP, with officers voting 825-323 to keep PLEA in place.

"The Police Department has been through upheaval and has had so many bad things happen this year that I'm sure it has influenced this struggle and (PLEA) membership," Williams said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/01/07/20110107phoenix-police-union-dispute.html

Exhuming the State's Avenging Angels: Revisiting 'Officer Down' in Light of Recent Revelations About the Phoenix PD

From Fires Never Extinguished: A blog of the Phoenix Class War Council


The recent very suspicious death of Phoenix police Sgt. Sean Drenth (as yet unsolved) and October's outrageous murder of unarmed Phoenix resident Daniel Rodriguez in his own home by Officer Richard Chrisman provides me an opportunity to revisit some of the points I made in an article I wrote a few years ago called "Officer Down: The Media and Cop-Killings". In that piece, I pointed out how when an officer is killed in the line of duty, in general no investigation into the officer's record or character is permitted, because to do so would put into question the religious nature of this society's attitudes (and especially those of the media institutions) towards the police.

Dead cops are treated like little dead angels -- heroes, pure of heart and motive, who meet their tragic end too soon and in defense of the smallest among us. It's as if every cop dies rescuing an old lady from a house on fire, a box of kittens under one arm and a guilty-faced arsonist firmly gripped by the collar in the other. Justice served!

A common attack lobbed at those who dare criticize the cops and their role in society is that, despite one's lack of faith in the oft-touted immaculateness of the paladin in blue, "They'd protect you, too, even though you hate them." Of course, those of us who have seen their brutality liberally meted out in person know better. For instance, one reason most Americans have never been clubbed by a cop is because they've never been to a protest, not because cops don't beat people at protests. Likewise, middle class white people generalize their at worst mildly annoying experiences with ticket-issuing cops to everyone else, and therefore remain baffled each and every time a black kid is dragged from a car and beaten by one of them.

The coverage given to cops, and the heaps of posthumous praise piled on them, is rivaled but not surpassed, only by the attention given to dead soldiers. Perceived disparagers of the troops or their mission are counseled that they fight for our right to dissent, even if not the rights of those they invade and torture (although their defenders rarely even concede that much). And as with cops, only the most superficial investigations into their mission is countenanced. They do violence in far off villages so that we can be free, the logic goes. Not to protect and advance the interests of the capitalist and political class. No, nothing so crass, to be sure. In the common parlance, all enemies of the military are Hitler or terrorists with ticking time bombs. Of the cop, their targets are child molesters, murderers and rapists. And all critics of the police and ("our") soldiers are appeasers, ingrates or apologists for the above listed menagerie of the foes of honest humanity. Or Reds. Now we start to get to the crux of it, don't we?

When a cop dies, freeways are shut down, like the 101 in the north Valley was for Drenth's corpse and it's accompanying tearful and politically opportunistic entourage. Traffic is diverted, local politicians and police officials are given free reign to praise the officer in the media without suffering the cruel editor's snips and cuts. Sometimes the media covers the funeral procession live. Flags are lowered to half-staff. Again, just like soldiers. Indeed, the willingness of capitalist society to shut down its holy arteries of commerce to venerate its fallen protectors reveals their true purpose. But we already knew that.

Which again brings me to the case of Sgt. Drenth, Officer Chrisman and a host of other officers in the South Mountain Precinct of the Phoenix Police Department. I can't think of another time when the sheer force of scandal has compelled onto the public discourse the question of police sainthood. Or at least it should. In a way we have to count ourselves lucky at the odd convergence of circumstances that now provides us the opportunity to interrogate again the question of police and the way they are held up in society.



Called on a domestic disturbance between Daniel Rodriguez and his mother, which was over by the time he arrived, Officer Chrisman barged into Rodriguez's mobile home, put his service weapon to Rodriguez's head, shot his dog and then, eventually, opened fire on Rodriguez himself as he attempted to leave the trailer with his bike. "I don't need a warrant," he is reported to have said in response to Rodriguez's protestations. The act so outraged his partner, Sergio Virgillo, who was present when it happened (which says a lot, as we'll see later) that he broke the blue code of silence and denounced Chrisman to investigators.

Still, the police union ran to his support, paying his $150,000 bail with union dues. Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) President Mark Spencer, a notorious anti-immigrant activist and right-wing Christian, showed up in the courtroom for Chrisman's initial appearance wearing a "We Support Officer Richard Chrisman" t-shirt. Initially and reluctantly, the state only charged Officer Chrisman with aggravated assault and animal cruelty.

Public outrage and a series of protests, which went on for a week, eventually compelled the outgoing County Attorney Rick Romley to charge Chrisman with second-degree murder. Stating his overall support for the police, and the defense of the bad apple myth of policing, Romley was careful to reassure the cops that his issuing of the new charge wasn't a sign of his straying from the fold. "But we as citizens put our trust and our lives in their hands, and when one violates and abuses that trust, we must hold them accountable to the community for that breach," he told the press.

An interesting side note, last year following the anti-Joe Arpaio march, the Phoenix New Times reacted with a vengeance worthy of a puritanical witchhunt to the Dine', O'odham, Anarchist Bloc's assertion that the Phoenix Police were as bad, if not worse in many ways, than the Sheriff's Department. After all, the PPD is responsible for more deportations than Sheriff Joe, hands down. The immigrant movement here had put a lot of faith in the PPD as the heroes of their anti-Joe campaign and would brook no criticism of their saviors -- even when PPD deliberately and without provocation charged their horses into a mixed age crowd, trampling people and pepper spraying indiscriminately. Interestingly, several of those arrested, including one for throwing a water bottle at heavily armed police during the melee, among other complaints, were charged with the same crime as was Chrisman initially, who is alleged to have murdered an unarmed man.

Indeed, the press, especially the New Times, is directly responsible in no uncertain terms for the charges filed against anarchists following that event and the fact that our comrades continue to face prosecution (with one, Grace, having just been released after serving a month in Joe's jail as a result of the state's blackmail operation). So, it's with some chagrin that I note that, almost a year later, the New Times has come to the startling conclusion that, in fact, the PPD is as rife with abuse and corruption as the MCSO. Better late than never, I suppose, but it would be nice if anarchists got some credit for saying it first and didn't have to suffer alone the consequences of standing up against such nonsense. But I suppose that was a different PPD that attacked the march last January, right?

So, let's get back to Chrisman. A little digging, the result I'm sure of the pure monstrosity of his actions and the fact that he is a living as opposed to dead cop (of whom not a bad word would be permitted), revealed something interesting. Chrisman was on something called the "Brady List". That list, which can be viewed here, is composed of officers who have been singled out for acts of dishonesty while on the job. In Chrisman's case, the black mark came when he was observed by a couple of security guards on camera harassing a homeless woman and planting a crack pipe on her.

What was he doing with a crack pipe, you may wonder? Maybe ask the fine officers of the New Orleans Police Department who, it has been revealed recently, routinely carried with them what they used to refer to as a "ham sandwich" -- i.e., an untraceable pistol to plant in case an officer involved shooting revealed no weapon on the victim. Remarkably in the case of Chrisman we have a case here where security guards, generally power hungry and drooling sycophants to the police that they hope one day themselves to be, were so outraged by his behavior that they turned him in. Quite astounding, really. It makes you wonder what his uncontroversial activity was like, doesn't it?



But that outrage is not a rare exception, it turns out. It has since been revealed that the head of the Phoenix Police Department's internal investigation squad was himself on the Brady List! And do you know what else? Revelations from a three year long investigation into the false billing of overtime by officers in the PPD has revealed a ring of fraud within the department, in which what has been reported to be as many as 25 officers in the South Mountain Precinct, aided by sympathetic bosses, routinely billed for overtime that never happened, padding their already inflated wages. Three officers have been charged with serious felonies as a result, probably just sacrificial lambs to cover up whatever else has been going on.

But something interesting came to light as a result of this investigation that really bears remarking on: according to the reports coming out now, if Sgt. Sean Drenth was still alive, he would have been indicted as well. Which would make the officer over which the city elite so recently poured out it's glycerin tears, the latest fallen hero in a long line of since-beatified saints, just another corrupt cop in a corrupt department.

To make this connection even more clear, Officer Chrisman has been reported to be among those under investigation as well, putting our fallen angel Sgt. Drenth a mere one degree of separation, if not a co-conspirator, with alleged murderer Chrisman in the overtime scam. But, to be fair, one degree is in fact too far, since the accused mastermind of the operation, Officer Contreras (recently retired under "multiple misconduct investigations"), actually played in a band with Drenth. The fact that Contreras comes from a long-time Phoenix police family certainly casts more doubt on the reputation of the department and, of course, any future or past fallen officers from that particular cesspool in South Mountain, mired as it is now in public scandal and accusations of racism. Hero cops indeed!

In this new era of austerity, and despite the overwhelmingly obvious corrupt and violent nature of our co-called "protectors", where we are reminded daily that teachers and other public employees (amongst the last remaining pathways to decent wages in this country) must face the imposed precarity of regular review of their qualifications and suffer the constant threat of dismissal, it's interesting that we have heard no such demands when it comes to the police. As a friend of mine recently remarked to a cop on the light rail, "They'd let children starve before they didn't pay you."

And make no mistake, when those children are starving, and you reach for that loaf of bread to tuck under your now-ill-fitting clothing, it will be one of these officers, not Drenth thankfully, but one of his corrupt, roid-raging and hair-trigger comrades, that intervenes to keep that food from their mouths. These are the saints of our time? Or is it perhaps something else?

I won't go into it in depth again, because I already did that in "Officer Down", but suffice it to say that, if as we've seen above, the cops aren't a bunch of angels protecting us from the thugs and thieves that would otherwise plague good people, then something else must be going on. At the least, as it would be a mark of insanity to defend the mainstream image of the police officer, it also makes no sense to be shocked that jobs that offer largely unaccountable power over others and unsupervised opportunities for theft and bullying in fact attract people interested in acting like a bunch of cowboy jerks that take advantage of people, push them around, plant drugs and steal (just to begin a very long list). In that sense, the image of the police officer is perfect cover for them.

But beyond that, of course, we have the particular role of the police as a system in the US. Born out of the slave patrols in the South, the anti-Mexican militias in the Southwest, and the anti-worker thugs that broke up strikes, the legacy of the police remains with us to this day, defending the wealth and power of the elite first, of the settler second and of everyone (or no one) else third, except perhaps by accident or convenience. Let's not parse words or dance around the issue: the thin blue line in fact defends capitalism and the state from it's victims, ensuring that people like us don't get out of line and that the rich and their bureaucratic buddies in the government stay safe, warm and well-fed in their mansions and downtown penthouses. The cops keep the money rolling in! They reinforce white supremacy, protecting some from the worst excesses of capitalist and bureaucratic power in exchange for their acquiescence in the hyper-domination of the rest of society.

The police, far from the angelic agents of our deliverance from evil, are in fact a hallmark and the bulwark of a deeply unequal class society, in which power is exercised against the will and against the interests of the vast majority of the population. Each time one falls should be a time for celebration, not mourning, for it brings us a little bit closer to a world without cops, a world without inequality.

In Spain during the revolution the workers and peasants, so infuriated at the apologists for the monarchy and feudalism, dug up the rotting corpses of the priests and nuns that had conjured the myths of their age -- the lies that sought to keep the farmer and the factory worker in his or her place, bowing always to the appropriate authority figure. Perhaps we can think of counterparts in our own society, who deserve similar tribute, should the time come. So, please, weep no more over the dead cop than the dead slave patroller, or the dead Pinkerton. No rose on the grave, but who's got a shovel?

Arpaio urged to probe calls to witness officer

A Washington-based government watchdog agency has asked the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to investigate allegations that two Phoenix city councilmen broke the law by contacting a police officer who reported the fatal shooting of an unarmed domestic violence suspect.

In a letter to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Judicial Watch asked MCSO to review any possible felonies committed by councilmen Michael Johnson and Michael Nowakowski in contacting the witness officer in the wake of the high-profile shooting that led to murder charges against south Phoenix patrolman Richard Chrisman, the officer who fired the shots.

The councilmen phoned Officer Sergio Virgillo, who was on scene with Chrisman during the shooting, to offer support to the officer for making the difficult step of reporting what he perceived to be criminal behavior by a fellow police officer.

Nowakowski (far right) told The Republic last month that the allegations are part of a police union attempt to discredit Virgillo as a sound witness in a case against one of the union’s members. He and Johnson have denied any wrongdoing.

In his Monday letter to Arpaio, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Phoenix officials declined to investigate the allegations that the councilman tried to influence Virgillo to continue with telling his side of the story.

Fitton added that "these contacts also may have run afoul of Arizona criminal laws against obstructing criminal investigations and witness tampering."

Virgillo told detectives he saw Chrisman threaten suspect Danny Rodriquez with a gun to the suspect's head just prior to the fatal shooting on Oct. 5. Chrisman has pleaded not-guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated assault and animal cruelty for allegedly attacking Rodriquez and killing the suspect's dog.

Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the labor union representing Chrisman, has suggested the call could have violated the Phoenix City Charter and that politicians are “possibly trying to exert influence over a criminal investigation," according to a past message on the union's web site.

Virgillo reported the phone calls to his supervisors, telling them he felt uncomfortable receiving calls from elected officials on his cell phone, according to e-mails posted by PLEA.

PLEA has supported the ongoing Judicial Watch lawsuit against Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris to halt his monthly pension payments three years after his retirement as police chief. Judicial Watch has separately sued Phoenix for release of Mayor Phil Gordon's security logs, though a judge denied release of the records last month.

-- Michael Ferraresi

http://www.azcentral.com/community/Blog/PHXBeat/109960

Rick Romley Says Police Union's Under Investigation in the Chrisman Murder Case

Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) president Mark Spencer

by Stephen Lemons

PLEA DEAL

Can the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the powerful union that represents Phoenix Police Department officers, successfully derail the case against Officer Richard Chrisman, the Phoenix cop indicted for second-degree murder in the October 5 shooting of an unarmed man?

That's the question I have as interim County Attorney Rick Romley leaves office on November 22, to be replaced with County Attorney-elect Bill Montgomery.

PLEA endorsed Montgomery in his victorious Republican primary challenge to Romley, and PLEA contributed $410 to his campaign coffers, though Montgomery hardly needed the help.

His official sponsor, longtime Romley enemy Sheriff Joe Arpaio, spent more than a half-million dollars on TV ads and mailers bashing Romley. That effort, or at least the cash dropped on the mailers, earned Arpaio a hefty campaign fine of $154,000.

So you could at least argue that Montgomery owes PLEA less than he owes the sheriff, though PLEA's endorsement's worth a lot more that its little donation.

Also, PLEA's reportedly tight with at least one member of Monty's newly announced executive staff. And from day one, PLEA has vigorously defended Chrisman against allegations leveled at him by fellow officer Sergio Virgillo.

Virgillo told investigators that the victim, Daniel Rodriguez, posed no threat to the officers, who were responding to a domestic-violence call placed by Rod­riguez's mother.

According to Virgillo, Chrisman, challenged by Rodriguez as to why the cops were in his mom's residence, put a gun to Rodriguez's head, telling him, "I don't need no warrant, motherfucker."

Why would a cop make this stuff up about another cop, thus instantly earning him the enmity of fellow law enforcement officers? If the confrontation went down the way Virgillo said and if he'd kept his mouth shut and backed Chrisman's tale, the whole incident probably would've been forgotten after the initial reports on it.

But PLEA's having none of Virgillo's account. The union ponied up the dough for Chrisman's bail and apparently began planting stories with friendly reporters at CBS 5 and elsewhere (according to my sources), aimed at smearing Virgillo, who's not a PLEA member.

That campaign caught the eye of Romley, who has told me that PLEA and other Phoenix police officers are now under investigation by his office and the Phoenix Police Department for possible witness tampering and obstruction of justice. In addition, Romley said an FBI agent's assigned to the matter.

"I think there's a concerted effort by PLEA and some of its members to obstruct the success of this case going forward," Romley told me. "And they need to know that I'm going to play hardball."

Sadly, Romley won't be playing hardball from the County Attorney's Office, but he's never been quiet on the sidelines, and I wouldn't expect him to clam up after November 22. By informing me of an investigation into PLEA, Romley was sending a message.

"This thing doesn't go away just because Rick Romley has to leave," he said.

I called the FBI, where spokesman Manuel Johnson said, "We're aware of the situation." He specified that the FBI knows about the County Attorney's Office and PPD probes.

Johnson would neither confirm nor deny Romley's statement that there was an FBI agent assigned to the matter. He said that in cases in which law enforcement's accused of alleged misconduct under "color of law," it's not uncommon for the FBI to wait until local investigations run their course. He said there was no active FBI investigation, but he left the door open for that to change.

(Note: PLEA President Mark Spencer hadn't returned a call for comment as this column went to press.)

Romley declined to discuss specifics of the investigation. However, I wondered to Assistant Phoenix Police Chief Andy Anderson, how PLEA had gotten internal e-mails among police officers concerning a phone call from Phoenix city councilmen Michael Nowakowski and Mike Johnson to Officer Virgillo concerning Daniel Rodriguez's death.

The e-mails are posted on PLEA's Web site. When I asked Anderson whether his department was investigating how the e-mails got there, he said he couldn't comment. I asked if the PPD was investigating PLEA, and he said that he couldn't make a statement at this time.

Nowakowski and Johnson have said they were calling only to offer support to Virgillo. The e-mails insinuate that Nowakowski and Johnson may have been trying to get Virgillo to stick to his story — which is what PLEA wants us to believe.

Granted, it's a legitimate news item for the media hounds who've reported on it. As was another item concerning Virgillo's wife, Maria, who was busted in 2008 and eventually caught three years' probation for being part of a drug-trafficking organization.

Virgillo, by all accounts, knew nothing of his wife's dealings. But as with the story regarding Nowakowski and Johnson, these twists effectively muddy the pool, no doubt part of PLEA's plan. If there's enough doubt in the mix when Montgomery ascends to the catbird seat, it could give him enough cover to act in Chrisman's favor.

Chrisman's attorney, Craig Mehrens — who wouldn't tell me whether PLEA's paying Chrisman's legal bills — contends that the grand jury was bogus from jump. He said the County Attorney's Office wouldn't allow his expert witness, police psychologist Dr. William Lewinski, to testify.

Mehrens said Lewinski interviewed Chrisman and has concluded that "this was a justifiable use of force," in the attorney's words.

"I wanted to make Dr. Lewinski available to the [county attorney] and the grand jury to tell them Rich Chrisman's version on the facts and, if they were interested, his expert opinion," Mehrens wrote in an e-mail to me.

Yet Mehrens admitted that he didn't offer his client to the grand jury to tell his side, which was the smart thing for Mehrens to do. Particularly if his client's guilty.

Romley scoffed at the suggestion that Lewinski should've gone before the grand jury.

"Mehrens knows better than that," Romley said. "His expert didn't even have any of the police reports or any of the information [on the case]."

And what about Mehrens' contention that he and Public Safety Manager (read: Police Chief) Jack Harris rushed to judgment regarding Chrisman — that the grand jury came too fast?

"That's ridiculous," Romley said. "How many murder investigations do we sit, [where] we have someone who's a potential subject and we do the grand jury right away? Just go back in history. It was a week [after the murder that the Chrisman grand jury] was done."

Romley also hotly contested the suggestion by Phoenix police Officer Eric Rude that the County Attorney dictated the probable-cause statement attached to the Chrisman indictment. Rude's testimony came before a hearing seeking a preliminary injunction against Chrisman's firing by Harris, a request the judge granted.

PLEA member Rude told the court that Chief Harris informed him that the County Attorney dictated what was to appear in the statement, referred to as a "form four." This, even though Phoenix homicide Detective Kenny Porter is listed as the author of the form four.

"I triple-checked it," Romley said. "We even contacted the officer that wrote the form four, and he said, 'Absolutely not.'"

PPD spokesman Tommy Thompson explained to me that in major cases, officers may corroborate facts with the county attorney, but the officers actually write the form fours themselves.

The latest round fired from Mehrens' office is a motion seeking a remand of the Chrisman case to the grand jury. Mehrens contends that the prosecutor assigned to the case, Juan Martinez, and another prosecutor, Ted Duffy, misled the grand jury by presenting the case "almost entirely from the point of view of Officer Sergio Virgillo."

Not long after its filing, the legal paperwork found its way to CBS 5, which then produced a hit piece on Duffy, noting that he'd been sanctioned, given a 30-day suspension, and put on probation by the State Bar of Arizona.

The Channel 5 story quoted defense attorney Daniel Raynak's saying he was surprised "anyone would put Duffy in charge of another murder case."

The TV report also noted that Duffy's "one of two prosecutors handling the Chrisman prosecution."

But the County Attorney's Office said it was Martinez who presented the case to the grand jury, not Duffy.

County Attorney's Office spokesman Bill Fitzgerald got back to me with this statement:

"Ted Duffy didn't have anything to do with the presentment of the Chrisman case. He was the person who was assigned that day to the grand jury to read from a piece of paper the standard admonishments with regard to all cases being heard by grand jurors that day.

"He reads from the piece of paper and takes a seat. The actual presentment of the case was done by Juan Martinez."

Asked about Duffy's involvement or non-involvement in the presentation of the case to the grand jury, Mehrens reacted, well, weirdly.

"You know, I am so tired of this shit," wrote Mehrens in an e-mail to me. "Why [is the County Attorney's Office] lying to you? More importantly, why are you buying into it? I actually know the answer to the former question: They cannot support their actions on the facts, so they spin."

Mehrens later added, "I know your paper supports Romley, having done a huge piece on how wonderful a guy he is. I know your paper supports and has done 'puff pieces' on the Phoenix PD homicide detectives and homicide detectives [who] have left for other employment, so why am I surprised? I shouldn't be."

So, uh, does this make New Times anti-cop or pro-cop? Confusing, eh?

Speaking for myself, I'm neither pro- nor anti-Phoenix PD. And as to Chrisman's guilt or innocence, that's for a jury to decide.

The line that's out there on the pro-Chrisman side is that Virgillo froze (or didn't engage) while Rodriguez and Chrisman struggled, that Rodriguez went for Chrisman's gun, and Chrisman had to kill him.

There were only three men involved in the incident, and one of them's dead.

The second, Virgillo, is a cop with a spotless record who's now loathed by many — if not most — of his brothers and sisters in arms for ratting out a fellow centurion.

The third, Chrisman, is tainted by his name's inclusion on the "Brady list" and the reason it was put there: planting a crack pipe on a mentally ill homeless woman in a sick prank we learned about only after he was indicted for murder two.

Chrisman's past behavior aside, I'd be willing to keep an open mind on whether the shooting was justified. That is, if Mehrens and PLEA weren't so actively sliming anyone who opposes or even questions them, and setting the stage for Montgomery to step in and put the kibosh on a possible trial.

That endgame may be good for Chrisman, Mehrens, and PLEA — which is using the affair to target its bête noire, Jack Harris. But would it be good for justice? No. Sorry, but now more than ever, we need a trial to sort out the death of Danny Rodriguez.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2010-11-18/news/rick-romley-says-plea-s-under-investigation-for-the-witness-tampering-and-obstruction-of-justice-in-the-chrisman-affair/

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

Phoenix police shooting protests continue

Protests against a police shooting of an unarmed Latino man will continue through the weekend, organizers said.

Protests will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday outside Phoenix police headquarters at 620 W. Washington St., according to coordinator and radio host Carlos Galindo.

In addition, on Monday evening there are plans to light luminarias all along the area in front of the headquarters, he said.

A first protest Thursday night following a memorial for Rodriguez drew approximately 30 people.

Galindo said he expected larger crowds through the weekend, and accused the Valley's Latino leaders of engaging in "pick-and-choose activism."

"Why aren't the usual Latino activists out there? You know if this was in Los Angeles there would be burning cars," Galindo said. "But in Arizona it's apathetic Latinos and failed leadership."

Phoenix police Officers Richard Chrisman and Sergio Virgillo responded to a domestic-violence call Tuesday, which resulted in the death of Rodriquez and a family dog.

Rodriquez's mother had placed the 911 call.

According to court records documenting an interview with Virgillo, Rodriquez was unarmed but there was a struggle. During the struggle, he said, Chrisman shot the dog; Rodriquez was shot later.

Rodriquez died at the scene.

Chrisman was arrested and faces felony charges, but his representatives, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, issued a statement in support of his actions.

Galindo said the protests represent the Latino community's desire to see Chief Jack Harris and Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley have Chrisman rearrested and charged with murder.

"We're not going to put up with the injustices and the abuse on behalf of the police," Galindo told The Republic on Friday.

Galindo said the protests would continue past Monday if necessary.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2010/10/09/20101009phoenix-police-shooting-protests-brk.html

Protesters demand justice in officer shooting

About 60 people gathered with signs and megaphones outside the Phoenix police headquarters Friday night to protest an officer involved shooting that left an unarmed domestic-violence suspect dead.

The protest was a follow-up to a memorial for Danny Frank Rodriquez outside the headquarters Thursday night, with approximately 30 people in attendance, according to coordinator and radio host Carlos Galindo.

Phoenix police officers Richard Chrisman and Sergio Virgillo responded to a domestic-violence call Tuesday, which resulted in the death of Rodriquez and a family dog.

Rodriquez's mother had placed the 911 call.

According to court records documenting an interview with Virgillo, Rodriquez was unarmed but there was a struggle. During the struggle, he said, Chrisman shot the dog; Rodriquez was shot later.

Rodriquez died at the scene.

Chrisman was arrested and faces felony charges, but his representatives, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, issued a statement in support of his actions.

Galindo said the protest represents the Latino community's desire to see Chief Jack Harris and Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley have Chrisman rearrested and charged with murder.

"We're not going to put up with the injustices and the abuse on behalf of the police," Galindo said.

Adults, children and a man dressed as Uncle Sam carried signs as they circled in front of the headquarters chanting, "no justice, no peace, no Phoenix police." One sign read, "We demand justice and respect for the Latino community," while another read, "Welcome to Phoenix, the capitol of racism."

A pit-bull and Labrador mix was among the crowd, wearing a T-shirt with inked bullet holes and the words, "Would you kill me too?"

Mesa resident Susanna Astarte said she joined the protest when she heard about the dog, saying her greyhound was shot by a police officer years earlier.

"I was so distraught that someone would shoot my dog," she said. "[Police] need to be retrained so that the first thing to do is talk first, Taser second, and shoot last."

Several speakers took over the megaphone and spoke to the crowd in Spanish, but Galindo and Manuel Martinez gave speeches in both English and Spanish. A memorial for Rodriquez with candles, photos and a cross, sat in the middle of the group.

Galindo recounted the events leading up to Rodriquez's death. The crowd burst into applause when Galindo shouted, "We demand justice. We demand a re-arrest!"

Martinez asked the crowd to support of the other officer, who he said could be considered "a snitch."

"Not all officers are bad," he said. "There are many good officers of all races. We need to support this officer."

Galindos said the protests would continue throughout the weekend.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/10/08/20101008phoenix-police-shooting-protest-abrk.html