Fired Oakland Police Chief Armstrong speaks for first time since termination
OAKLAND -- Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong on Friday spoke publicly for the first time since his termination, blaming his being fired on the federal oversight monitor.
In no uncertain terms, Armstrong said he should still be in charge of the department.
On Friday, he called federal oversight monitor Robert Warshaw a bully who sensationalized a report about alleged infractions the chief committed. Former chief Armstrong was fired Wednesday without cause by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
His dismissal centered on his alleged handling of a misconduct case against an Oakland police sergeant accused in a San Francisco hit-and-run and for firing his gun in an elevator at OPD headquarters.
The allegations were revealed in a report by Clarence Dyer and Cohen, who was hired by the city to conduct an investigation. The report concluded in part that the internal affairs division "sought to recast, deflect, and minimize the severity of the officer's misconduct."
Armstrong at a regular briefing allegedly did not allow "extensive discussion" of the collision or request that a video of it be shown, the report said.
Instead, Armstrong quickly approved the recommended finding against the sergeant for being involved in a preventable collision but not for the hit-and-run, according to the report. Armstrong also signed the report of the investigation without reading it, the report said.
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The Oakland Police Commission had questions about the credibility and quality of the report.
Warshaw though was "profoundly disappointed in the evidence" and saw "significant cultural problems in the department," Thao said the day she fired Armstrong.
"My termination was never about the facts or my performance or my ability to effectively lead the Oakland Police Department," Armstrong said. "My termination was about federal monitor Robert Warshaw and the mayor's failure to fight for the Oakland community."
A press release issued on Armstrong's behalf by a public relations firm Friday was the first time Armstrong has called his firing 'wrongful termination."
Armstrong is considering legal action following Mayor Sheng Thao's decision to fire him Wednesday, a crisis consultant working on his behalf said Friday.
Armstrong was wrongfully fired and in a retaliatory way, consultant Sam Singer said.
"Mr. Warshaw's history and incentives are crystal clear. It is the elephant in the room. He is supposed to be neutral, but he is not," Armstrong's latest statement read. "It's in the best interest of his pocketbook to conclude that every error at the Police Department is a scandal that reaches all the way to the top of the organization, and to write sensational reports about it -- all at Oakland taxpayers' expense. His conclusions need to be taken with a very big grain of salt, and scrutinized to be sure that they are backed by evidence and that they make sense."
Armstrong maintains that when he pointed that out to the Mayor, it led to his firing.
There was a rally by Armstrong supporters outside Oakland City Hall on Thursday to protest his firing. Another rally is planned at the same location for Monday at 10 a.m.
