A St. Louis, Missouri police sergeant has won nearly $20 million after filing a lawsuit alleging he was told by a police commission board member to “tone down your gayness” and passed over for promotions due to his sexuality.
A jury awarded Sgt. Keith Wildhaber a total of $19.9 million in damages, including $1.9 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages for discrimination, and $999,000 actual damages and $7 million in punitive damages for retaliation, The St. Louis Times Dispatch <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jurors-say-police-sergeant-should-get-almost-million-in-discrimination/article_e7305f25-64be-5391-8d4b-5c1f92f2be1b.html">reported</a>.
Wildhaber claimed a member of the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners, John Saracino, told the police sergeant in 2014 that management had “a problem with your sexuality” and that if he wanted to get promoted, he “should tone down your gayness.” Saracino denied making the comments.
Wildhaber also claimed in his lawsuit that others were promoted ahead of him even though he had “a clean disciplinary history, excellent performance reviews, and a strong resume for being promoted to Lieutenant,&#8221; his lawsuit<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/st-louis-police-sergeant-told-tone-gayness-awarded/story?id=66608609">, reviewed by ABC News</a>, alleged. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/us/gay-police-officer-st-louis.html">reported</a> that Wildhaber’s resume boasted 15 years of experience and that he was among the top three out of 26 candidates for a promotion, yet still did not get promoted. In fact, he was passed over for a promotion 23 times in five-and-a-half years.
The lawsuit claimed his superiors would not promote him “because he does not conform to the County&#8217;s gender-based norms, expectations, and/or preferences.&#8221; More from ABC:
<blockquote>Wildhaber complained to management numerous times, and in April 2016 he filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Missouri Commission on Human Rights alleging &#8220;unlawful employment discrimination due to the County&#8217;s failure to promote him based on his sex/gender.&#8221;
A month later, Wildhaber claims his superiors retaliated by reassigning him from a day shift to a midnight shift and transferring him to a precinct 27 miles from his home.
He filed a total of five complaints with the EEOC and Commission on Human Rights, alleging discrimination and unlawful retaliation.</blockquote>
The Missouri Commission on Human Rights granted Wildhaber permission to sue the city over his alleged treatment.
The Dispatch <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jurors-say-police-sergeant-should-get-almost-million-in-discrimination/article_e7305f25-64be-5391-8d4b-5c1f92f2be1b.html">reported</a> that Police Chief Jon Belmar testified at the week-long trial that Wildhaber was passed over for promotion due to job errors, such as tipping of the subject of an FBI investigation.
The jury deliberated for more than three hours before siding with Wildhaber. One juror told the Dispatch that photos suggesting Capt. Guy Means was untruthful helped seal the deal. Donna Woodland, the widow of a former police officer, testified that Means told her Wildhaber wouldn’t be promoted because he was “way too out there with his gayness and he needed to tone it down if he wanted a [promotion].” Woodland also said Means called Wildhaber “fruity” at an event. Means testified he didn’t remember attending the event and didn’t even know Woodland well enough to pick her out of a lineup. Woodland returned to counter his testimony with photos showing Means smiling and hugging her – including one photo where he’s hugging her from behind with a big grin on his face – at the event in question. Woodland also provided a receipt for a $147 framed picture that she bought for Means, whom she said was a friend. Woodland said Means hung the picture in his office.
Following the verdict, County Executive Sam Page released a statement saying it was time for leadership changes in the police department.
“Our police department must be a place where every community member and every officer is respected and treated with dignity,” wrote Page. “Employment decisions in the department must be made on merit and who is best for the job.”
Page went on to suggest that the “time for leadership changes has come and change must start at the top.”
In a statement to ABC News following the jury verdict, Wildhaber’s attorneys, Russ Riggan and Sam Moore, said the police sergeant was “an inspiration” for employees around the world.
“His bravery and courage in standing up for what is right should be an inspiration for employees everywhere,&#8221; the attorneys said. &#8220;Justice was served in this trial, and no client could be more deserving than Keith. The jury acted as the conscience of the community and spoke loud and clear in its verdict.&#8221;

Police Officer

Cop Says He Was Told To ‘Tone Down Your Gayness.’ He Sued And Was Just Awarded $20 Million.

Discrimination

LGBT

Police

New York City’s top police official has warned that looming reforms intended to fundamentally transform the city’s jail system could endanger the well-being of people residing and working in the area.
NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill recently put the public on notice after the City Council overwhelmingly <a href="https://council.nyc.gov/data/closerikers/">voted</a> to close the notorious Rikers Island correctional complex by 2026 and replace it with four smaller community jails that, collectively, will hold fewer inmates.
“I’m really concerned going forward with the reduced capacity that we’ll be able to keep the city as safe as possible,” O’Neill cautioned in an <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/10/17/nypds-oneill-rikers-plan-is-going-to-put-new-yorkers-at-risk/">exclusive interview</a> with CBS2 New York.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/nyregion/rikers-island-closing-vote.html">reports</a> that “the new facilities will be smaller than first anticipated with a combined daily capacity of about 3,300 people,” adding, the transition “will require reducing the jail population by more than half by 2026.” Opponents of the initiative are apprehensive that the changes might result in a shortage of available cells for future needs. Currently, the city’s jail system is the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/nyregion/rikers-island-closing-vote.html">second-largest</a> in the nation, housing approximately 7,000 inmates daily.
Officials based NYC’s “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191022003614/https:/rikers.cityofnewyork.us/">decarceration plan</a>” on a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/nyregion/nyc-news-rikers-island.html">declining crime rate</a> along with <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/484-19/projected-city-jail-population-falls-3-300-2026">criminal justice reform measures</a> crafted to keep people out of jail, such as a state law that kicks in next year that will <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/08/12/john-miller-bail-reform/">abolish cash bail</a> for most individuals charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.
“Come January 1, there are going to be very few people that are bail eligible, so you’re going to see people that have significant criminal histories, significant firearms histories, and they’re not going to be held in,” Commissioner O’Neill <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/10/17/nypds-oneill-rikers-plan-is-going-to-put-new-yorkers-at-risk/">continued</a>. “That’s going to put people at risk, put New Yorkers at risk, put victims at risk, and put witnesses at risk.”
Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio embraced the years-long effort to close the city jails on Rikers Island, which sits isolated in the East River between the Bronx and Queens. His administration <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/413-18/de-blasio-administration-plans-borough-based-jails-replace-facilities-rikers">unveiled plans</a> last year to replace the facilities with “modern, community-based jails throughout the City … designed to be integrated into surrounding neighborhoods.” Lawmakers approved the final proposal <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/10/18/new-york-rikers-island-voted-close/">36-13</a> on October 17, deciding to proceed with the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/nyregion/rikers-island-closing-vote.html">$8 billion transition project</a> and establish four new borough-based detention centers, one each in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
Official city websites that have <a href="https://rikers.cityofnewyork.us/">promoted the decarceration plan</a> said the new jails <a href="https://rikers.cityofnewyork.us/nyc-borough-based-jails/">would be</a> “built upon a foundation of dignity and respect,” and:
<blockquote>This borough-based system would strengthen connections to families, attorneys, courts, medical and mental health care, and faith and community-based organizations. Being closer to home and transit would enhance the network of support systems for people who are detained, and help prevent future returns to jail.
The new facilities would be designed to foster safety and wellbeing for both those incarcerated and for staff, providing space for quality education, health, and therapeutic programming. Modern facilities would also serve as a catalyst for positive change in the community and the criminal justice system.
We ask you to join us in reimagining these jails as civic assets that would provide a better life for those who are detained and work in them, support smoother transitions back home, and serve as resources for the community.</blockquote>
“Mass incarceration did not begin in New York City, but it will end here,” Mayor de Blasio <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/484-19/projected-city-jail-population-falls-3-300-2026">said </a>earlier this month. “With the lowest rate of incarceration of any major city, we are proving you don’t need to arrest your way to safety. New York is telling a different story, one where we can keep fathers at home and kids in schools and still be the safest big city in America.”
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/nyregion/rikers-island-closing-vote.html">reported</a> that de Blasio “secured perhaps his most progressive achievement so far as mayor,” noting he has two years remaining in office. However, The Times added: “To make the plan a reality, city officials must place their trust in future elected leaders to share the same vision and see it through on the same aggressive timeline.”
Follow Jeffrey Cawood on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/jeffreycawood">@JeffreyCawood</a>.

NYPD Announces Fate Of Cop Implicated In Chokehold Death Of Eric Garner

NYPD Commish Warns City’s ‘Decarceration Plan’ Could Put New Yorkers In Danger

New York City

Speaking at a historically black college on Saturday, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told a black student that if he were stopped by a police officer, he should respect what the officer was doing so “you don’t get shot in the back of the head.”
Sanders was conducting a Q&amp;A session at Saturday&#8217;s Second Step Presidential Justice Forum event at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, as <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7620135/Bernie-Sanders-tells-black-student-respect-police-dont-shot-head.html">The Daily Mail</a> reported, when the student asked, “If I was your son, what advice would you give me the next time I’m pulled over by a police officer?”
Sanders answered,
<blockquote>I would do my best way to identify who that police officer is. In a polite way, ask him or her for their name. I would respect what they are doing so that you don’t get shot in the back of the head. But I would also be very mindful of the fact that as a nation, we have got to hold police officers accountable for the actions that they commit. So to answer your question. I would be very cautious, if you were my son, in terms of dealing with that police officer, but I would also defend my rights and know my rights and make sure, if possible, that police officer’s camera is on, what goes on.</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/3135317/cardi-b-bernie-sanders-campaign-discussion-full/">Speaking</a> to Cardi B this summer, Sanders opined, &#8220;Obviously, we need to end all forms of racism in this country from Donald Trump down to the local police department.”
Sanders was not alone at the Saturday event in firing off remarks regarding the police. Fellow presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden answered a similar question from a black female student by replying, “If you were my daughter, you&#8217;d be a Caucasian girl and you wouldn&#8217;t be pulled over.” That elicited applause, prompting Biden to add, “No. No! But here&#8217;s the deal. What I&#8217;d tell you is that&#8217;s what&#8217;s wrong. That is what&#8217;s wrong. There is institutional racism that still exists.”
The two candidates’ responses came after a video was released last week showing an incident from April 2017 in which 16-year-old Isiah Murrietta-Golding, who was a murder suspect, fled from police after a traffic stop, jumped over a fence and was shot in the back of the head by a police officer. Murrietta-Golding and his 17-year-old brother were suspects in a shooting in which a driver was killed.
Murrietta-Golding&#8217;s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after investigators concluded that officers were justified in their actions because they believed the teenager was reaching for a gun.
Fresno police chief Andrew Hall defended the shooting, asserting Murrietta-Golding was “known to carry firearms” and pointed out that he had entered a daycare center after jumping the fence, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/25/police-shooting-video-isiah-murrietta-golding-fresno-california">The Guardian</a> noted. Hall <a href="https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/fresno-police-respond-to-release-of-fatal-ois-video/">stated</a>, “The use of lethal force in this case occurred while officers were investigating a homicide. The 16 year-old in this case was involved in the homicide with his brother and the brother was later arrested and pled guilty. The video represents a different vantage point and was not what the pursuing officers could see. The 16 year-old was also known to carry firearms and had jumped a fence into a child daycare center.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> to black student on how to handle getting pulled over by the police: “Identify who the police officer is &#8211; respect what they are doing so that you don’t get shot in the back of the head.”
 <a href="https://t.co/MND84NELLL">pic.twitter.com/MND84NELLL</a>
&mdash; chris evans (@notcapnamerica) <a href="https://twitter.com/notcapnamerica/status/1188231163372036096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Institutional racism should no longer exist. As president, I&#39;ll put forward change to help put an end to it. <a href="https://t.co/DQtPzGIfNq">pic.twitter.com/DQtPzGIfNq</a>
&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1188255543682568193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Bernie Sanders Returns To The Campaign Trail With A Rally In New York City

Bernie Sanders Tells Black Student To Respect Police ‘So You Don&#8217;t Get Shot In The Back Of The Head’

Bernie Sanders

Racism

Police in Chicago were warned not to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on issues of immigration.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD)sent a memo, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-police-dont-cooperate-dhs-immigration">obtained by Fox News</a>, to officers in late September telling them to wait for a supervisor to arrive before assisting DHS. Upon arrival, the supervisor will direct CPD officers to leave the scene, “if the request is to assist with an immigration arrest or detention. Fox News confirmed the authenticity of the memo but could not determine whether Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was behind the directive.
Several sources within the CPD told Fox that the new policy puts both departments at risk.
“See what happens when that happens and a DHS agent is injured because of a lack of response by CPD. Sickening what’s happening here,” one source told the outlet.
“You’ll not find a single real police officer that would refuse to assist another agency,” said another.
Chicago is one of at least 36 sanctuary cities in the United States that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency within DHS. In addition to dozens of cities, whole counties and states are also considered to be sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.
A DHS spokesperson told Fox that the memo to Chicago police officers was dangerous.
“The Department of Homeland Security is deeply concerned with the dangerous anti-law enforcement direction given by the leadership of the Chicago Police Department. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to protect the citizens of this country from dangerous criminals,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “Failing to support fellow law enforcement officers upon request for assistance not only places our heroic police officers in greater danger but keeps criminals on the streets and makes all of our communities less safe, specifically the great City of Chicago.”
The CPD told the outlet that law enforcement would assist a federal agent who is in danger but would not assist in the arrest. Instead, they will “advise and leave the scene.”
The new policy for CPD came around the same time that a Virginia police officer was suspended <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-officer-suspended-after-cooperating-with-ice">for cooperating with ICE</a>.
The officer was suspended after responding to a vehicle crash. During routine license checks, the officer discovered that one of the drivers had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear for a deportation hearing. The officer notified the ICE contact listed on the notification of the warrant, who was nearby. The officer then arrested the driver and turned them over to the ICE agent.
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. said in <a href="https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/chief-roesslers-statement-on-officers-custodial-detention-and-ice-notification/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">a statement</a> that officer violated a department order requiring them to ignore such a notification unless the person in question is “being taken into custody for any other violation of law.” Roessler emphasized in his statement that officers are extensively trained on this distinction and that the suspended officer “deprived a person of their freedom, which is unacceptable.”
The arrested driver spent three hours in custody and was released.

Chicago Police Officers Told Not To Cooperate With DHS On Immigration Issues: Memo

Chicago

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

A battle between prosecutors and the president of the local police union has broken out in regard to former officer Amber Guyger’s murder of Botham Jean.
The trial is over and Guyger was sentenced to 10 years for entering the wrong apartment — Jean’s — thinking there was an intruder and killing him.
On the night Guyger killed Jean, Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata arrived on the scene. Guyger, <a href="https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/10/04/fraternal-order-police-supports-dallas-police-association-president-mike-mata-alleged-misconduct-accusation/">as reported by CBS DFW</a>, was sitting in the back of a patrol car when Mata arrived. At trial, “prosecutors used security camera[s] video to suggest the Dallas Police Association acted improperly when DPA President Mike Mata arrived on the scene after the shooting,” the outlet reported.
The footage showed Mata leaning into the patrol car and then telling another officer to turn off the car’s recording devices while Guyger was speaking to her attorney over the phone. This is what prosecutors and a civil rights group appear to be claiming is a cover up and some kind of conspiracy to alter Guyger’s account of what occurred in the apartment.
Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said last week she would <a href="https://cbsloc.al/2oAcLr4">launch an internal review</a> of the situation.
Steve Stribley, president of the Texas Fraternal Order of Police, released a statement defending Mata, saying the officer went to the scene as president of the local union, not as an officer of the law. His full statement:
<blockquote>The Fraternal Order of Police Texas State Lodge supports Sergeant Mike Mata and his efforts to expose what appears to be a blatant case of prosecutorial misconduct by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
Despite making claims to the contrary, prosecutor Jason Hermus knew that Mike Mata was responding in his capacity as President of the Dallas Police Association to the scene of an officer involved shooting, In his role as DPA President, he had a legal responsibility to request recording devices in a squad car be turned off as Officer Amber Guyger was going to talk to her attorney on her cell phone.
Even a first-year law student knows that her conversation was protected under attorney-client privilege and any effort to record such confidential communication would be illegal.
Hermus was willing to make a despicable, false, and theatrical accusation to win a conviction, even if it meant deteriorating the public’s trust in the Dallas Police Department and discrediting a decorated police officer who has spent the last 25 years of his life protecting families.</blockquote>
Patrick Yoes, president of the national Fraternal Order of Police, also defended Mata in his own statement:
<blockquote>I was outraged to learn that Dallas Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus deliberately and maliciously attacked the character of Mike Mata, the President of the Dallas FOP Lodge, in the course of prosecuting Officer Amber Guyger. It was unnecessary, it was wrong and it was so grossly irresponsible that I believe it constitutes prosecutorial misconduct.
Mike Mata responded to the scene, not as an officer of the Dallas Police Department, but as the representative of the Dallas Police Association—the union to which Officer Guyger belongs. When she telephoned her attorney, President Mata requested that all recording devices be turned off. Anyone who has seen an episode of TV’s Law and Order knows that conversations between a client and her attorney are privileged communications. As her union representative, President Mata would have been negligent had he not made that request If the accused were not a police officer, there would be no question that recording devices should be deactivated ‘k hitt.. [sic] a client and her attorney communicate.
The false and reckless accusations made by the Assistant District Attorney, not only smears the character of a law enforcement officer of 25 years, but it undermines the public’s trust in the Dallas Police Department. He should be ashamed of himself, and he should apologize for his blatant misconduct.</blockquote>

Policeman

Police Union Stands By Officer Who Turned Off Recording Devices So Amber Guyger Could Talk To Her Attorney

Texas

An activist atheist group has filed a complaint against the judge in the widely covered case of off-duty Dallas cop Amber Guyger, who was sentenced to ten years behind bars on Wednesday for the killing of Botham Jean. 
Guyger shot and killed Jean after she says she mistakenly entered the wrong apartment, believing the 26-year-old accountant was an intruder in her own home. 
To the disapproval of the atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation, Judge Tammy Kemp confronted Guyger with her own personal Bible, highlighting a verse from the Gospel of John concerning redemption through Jesus Christ. 
“After speaking to Botham Jean&#8217;s family, Judge Kemp left the room to get her personal Bible,” <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Dallas-County-Jury-to-Decide-Punishment-for-Convicted-Murderer-Amber-Guyger-561939951.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DFWBrand">NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth </a> reported Wednesday. “She returned to the courtroom and read a passage to Guyger, telling her ‘this is where you need to start,’ and ‘this has been put in front of you for a reason.’ Kemp gave her personal Bible to Guyger and the two hugged before Guyger exited the courtroom.”
Judge Kemp reportedly highlighted verse 16 of chapter three in the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Freedom From Religion Foundation files complaint against Judge Tammy Kemp over her exchange with Amber Guyger at the end of the proceedings yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/1X7KXANxze">pic.twitter.com/1X7KXANxze</a>
&mdash; Blake Hanson (@BlakeFox4News) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakeFox4News/status/1179835378666106882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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“This is wrong on several levels, not the least of which is using a public office to promote her personal religion to someone who she is sentencing,” complained Freedom From Religion Foundation attorney Andrew Seidel. “It&#8217;s unconstitutional and wildly inappropriate for a judge. She should know better. And all that&#8217;s only one level.”
“[Freedom From Religion Foundation] is filing a judicial complaint about this unconstitutional proselytizing,” he added. “We need more compassion in our criminal justice system, but here, compassion crossed the line into coercion. Judges cannot impose their personal religion on others.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/FFRF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FFRF</a> is filing a judicial complaint about this unconstitutional proselytizing. We need more compassion in our criminal justice system, but here, compassion crossed the line into coercion. Judges cannot impose their personal religion on others. <a href="https://t.co/z3yziEqULv">https://t.co/z3yziEqULv</a>
&mdash; Andrew L. Seidel (@AndrewLSeidel) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewLSeidel/status/1179784395797995520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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“FFRF is urging the commission to investigate Kemp’s actions at the close of the trial: gifting a bible, instructing a convicted criminal on how to read the bible and which passages to pay attention to, and proselytizing and witnessing to that convicted murderer. These judicial actions were inappropriate and unconstitutional, FFRF contends,” the group <a href="https://mailchi.mp/ffrf.org/amber-guyger-judges-proselytization-an-abuse-of-power-ffrf-charges">outlined</a> the complaint, which was filed on Thursday. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Freedom From Religion Foundation files complaint against Judge Tammy Kemp over her exchange with Amber Guyger at the end of the proceedings yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/1X7KXANxze">pic.twitter.com/1X7KXANxze</a>
&mdash; Blake Hanson (@BlakeFox4News) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakeFox4News/status/1179835378666106882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Nonprofit law firm <a href="http://firstliberty.org/">First Liberty Institute</a> has already responded to the complaint, offering up representation for Judge Kemp if it is required of her.
&#8220;Judge Kemp should be permitted to be human, including the parts of her humanity informed by her religious beliefs. Indeed, any judge that hands any holy writ to anyone in an effort to encourage the improvement of his or her life is worth legally defending,&#8221; said <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dys-judge-tammy-kemp-is-a-model-for-us-all">Jeremy Dys</a>, special counsel for litigation and communications at First Liberty Institute.
“FFRF is protesting Judge Kemp rather than joining the rest of the nation celebrating the compassion and mercy Judge Kemp demonstrated,&#8221; a statement from Hiram Sasser, general counsel for the nonprofit, reads. &#8220;We should all be thankful the law allows Judge Kemp’s actions and we stand with her and will gladly lead the charge in defending her noble and legal actions.”
Judge Kemp’s embrace of Guyger was preceded by Jean’s younger brother Brandt displaying a stunning act of compassion to the woman who killed his brother. 
“I wasn’t ever going to say this in front of my family or anyone, but I don’t even want you to go to jail,” Brandt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/must-watch-brother-of-man-killed-by-female-cop-gives-shattering-speech-of-forgiveness">told</a> Guyger. “I want the best for you because I know that’s exactly what Botham would want you to do. And the best would be to give your life to Christ. I’m not going to say anything else. I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want you to do. Again, I love you as a person and I don’t wish anything bad on you.”
Brandt then asked permission from Judge Kemp to give Guyger a hug, which she allowed. Guyger, wailing in tears, was then comforted by an embrace from Brandt. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Botham Jean. After her sentencing, his brother forgave her and embraced her. <a href="https://t.co/xIExvp4qsl">https://t.co/xIExvp4qsl</a> <a href="https://t.co/eVUuwyiMky">pic.twitter.com/eVUuwyiMky</a>
&mdash; FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX4/status/1179525118063566848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dys-judge-tammy-kemp-is-a-model-for-us-all">DYS: Judge Tammy Kemp Is A Model For Us All</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/must-watch-brother-of-man-killed-by-female-cop-gives-shattering-speech-of-forgiveness">Must-Watch: Brother Of Man Killed By Female Cop Gives Shattering Speech Of Forgiveness</a>

Bible

Atheist Group Files Complaint Against Judge In Amber Guyger Case For Talking To Her About Redemption

Everyone has been moved by the remarkable story of forgiveness and mercy of <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-deciding-sentence-police-officer-amber-guyger-wrong/story?id=66002182">Brandt Jean</a>, brother of Botham Jean — who was tragically killed last year by a Dallas police officer in his own apartment. A day later, it is impossible to scroll through any social media platform today and miss Brandt’s statement and the hug heard round the world.
Many have also taken note of <a href="https://youtu.be/y_qpdyAuLu4?t=125">Judge Tammy Kemp’s actions</a>. Not only did the presiding judge allow the transformational hug to occur; when sentencing was complete, Judge Kemp descended from the bench, grabbed her personal Bible, and presented it to the newly sentenced felon, Amber Guyger.
Sadly, not everyone sees the beauty of yesterday’s moment of reconciliation. Ignoring the example of humanity, healing, and mercy demonstrated by Brandt Jean and Judge Kemp, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) stepped in to ruin the moment, dividing with complaints rather than uniting with understanding.
This afternoon, the foundation of atheists, secularists, and “free-thinkers” filed a complaint with the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC). The CJC hears ethical concerns of the state’s judiciary: justices of the peace, judges, and justices. This isn’t the first time the Foundation has complained to the CJC.
The Foundation now <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/10/03/us/ap-us-dallas-officer-mistaken-apartment-judge.html">accuses</a> Judge Tammy Kemp of judicial misconduct for handing Guyger her personal Bible. They <a href="https://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/35774-amber-guyger-judge-s-proselytization-an-abuse-of-power-ffrf-charges">accuse</a> the judge — clearly moved by the example of mercy and kindness shown by the brother of the man slain by Guyger — of “abuse of power” and of using the “privilege of [her office] to preach [her] personal religious beliefs.”
Their complaint to the CJC demands that the commission “investigate these actions and educate Kemp on her obligation to remain neutral on matters of religion to prevent future misconduct.”
We at <a href="http://firstliberty.org/">First Liberty Institute</a> would be only too pleased to represent Judge Kemp, should she require a legal defense. Judge Kemp should be permitted to be human, including the parts of her humanity informed by her religious beliefs. Indeed, any judge that hands any holy writ to anyone in an effort to encourage the improvement of his or her life is worth legally defending.
Earlier today, my boss, Hiram Sasser, <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Judge-Kemps-Hug-Not-Embraced-by-All-After-Guygers-Trial-562089651.html">said</a>: “FFRF is protesting Judge Kemp rather than joining the rest of the nation celebrating the compassion and mercy Judge Kemp demonstrated. We should all be thankful the law allows Judge Kemp’s actions and we stand with her and will gladly lead the charge in defending her noble and legal actions.”
I can only add that what Brandt Jean and Judge Kemp have done for the community in demonstrating forgiveness, mercy, and grace has done more to restore hope, healing, and humanity for Dallas — and, let’s be honest, civility for the nation at-large — than any life sentence could have brought.
And, if you’re wondering about whether by the technical point of the law, the Foundation may have a point — please don’t. Our country has a longstanding tradition of understanding that our leaders have a professional, official role and yet may also retain their personal humanity. History is replete with examples of judges balancing their official duties, yet their faith also informing all aspects of their lives After <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/17-1717_4f14.pdf">The American Legion v. AHA</a>, such longstanding, religiously expressive activities ought to be presumed constitutional.
This is not the first attack on the personal faith of public officials — not even this week. Earlier this week, the Foundation intimidated a sheriff from Alabama from taking part in a candlelight vigil over the increase of crime that is devastating his community. They recently forced a school district in Missouri to stop a team chaplain from praying with his football players after the game.
If the Foundation had its druthers, it would have the kind of government Justice Alito warned against in The American Legion: “A government that roams the land, tearing down monuments with religious symbolism and scrubbing away any reference to the divine will strike many as aggressively hostile to religion.”
Likewise, the Foundation would condemn, prosecute, and drive from office compassionate humans like Judge Tammy Kemp. Thankfully, the U.S. Constitution rejects demands that government commissions become, as Justice Alito wrote, “evocative, disturbing, and divisive” toward the religious beliefs of anyone — including judges.
Judge Kemp, if you’re reading this, thank you for being human. And call us if we can help.
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Jeremy Dys (<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremydys?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@JeremyDys</a>) is Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at <a href="https://firstliberty.org">FirstLiberty.org</a>.

Courtroom And Gavel

DYS: Judge Tammy Kemp Is A Model For Us All

Atheism

Dallas

First Amendment

Religion

On Thursday, a man described as a 20-year veteran of the police force who had security clearance went berserk in police headquarters next to Notre Dame Cathedral, murdering four police officers with a ceramic knife before he was shot and killed by another police officer. According to <a href="https://actu17.fr/paris-un-homme-arme-dun-couteau-a-attaque-des-policiers-a-la-prefecture-de-police/">Actu17</a>, two of the dead victims were female police officers.
<a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10056716/paris-attack-knife-police-station/">The Sun</a> reported, “The assailant was armed with a ceramic knife which could not be picked up by metal detectors used by the building’s security, according to sources quoted by <a href="https://www.jeanmarcmorandini.com/article-404347-en-direct-paris-deux-policiers-blesses-par-arme-blanche-dans-l-enceinte-de-la-prefecture-de-police-l-assaillant-abattu.html">one local website</a>.”
The motive for the attack is still unclear, but officials suspect it was the result of a workplace dispute.
<a href="http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/paris-un-homme-arme-abattu-a-l-interieur-de-la-prefecture-deux-policiers-blesses-03-10-2019-8165307.php">Le Parisien</a> reported that the Ministry of the Interior stated the 45-year-old assailant was a Category C official who had &#8220;never presented any behavioral difficulties.” Le Parisien added that the assailant attacked three police officers in two offices on the first floor, then climbed the stairs to the second floor, where he attacked two women with the knife. He then fled to the courtyard, where a policeman ordered him to stop; when he would not, the policeman shot him in the head.
The last time the Paris police force lost so many lives on one day was during World War II.
One police employee who works as an interpreter said, “People were running everywhere, there was crying everywhere. I heard a shot, I gathered it was inside. Moments later, I saw police officers crying. They were in a panic,” as <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7533375/Knifeman-attacks-police-officers-Paris-police-station.html">The Daily Mail</a> reported.
<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/three-hurt-in-knife-attack-at-paris-police-headquarters">The Straits-Times</a> noted, “The attack at the police headquarters also came as tension grows within the ranks of the police force, who have been stretched to the limit by policing <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/french-police-break-up-yellow-vest-protest-with-tear-gas">the &#8216;yellow vest&#8217; protests</a> against President Emmanuel Macron and have themselves been accused of heavy-handed tactics.”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/world/europe/france-police-protest.html">The New York Times</a> reported on Wednesday:
<blockquote>Thousands of police officers demonstrated in Paris Wednesday in frustration over what they said were bad working conditions, a lack of public respect and a wave of suicides in their ranks this year. Police unions said that about 27,000 people marched in the heart of Paris, from the Place de la Bastille to the Place de la République, the biggest such police demonstration in nearly 20 years. The large numbers of police officers in civilian clothes — they are forbidden by law to demonstrate in uniform — were a kind of response to the mass demonstrations of “Yellow Vest” protesters earlier in the year.</blockquote>
The Yellow Vest protests started in October 2018 as a response to rising fuel prices. The Yellow vests were chosen as a symbol since they were ubiquitous; all French motorists were required in 2008 to keep a high-visibility garment in their vehicles just in case a problem arose and they needed to be seen.
The New York Times also noted that in 2019 alone, 50 members of the national police have committed suicide. One 32-year-veteran of the French riot police said many police officers are exhausted from the constant travel entailed in responding to the Yellow Vest protests, saying, “I don’t even get to see my kids anymore. There’s a total fed-upness with this. We’re sick of being singled out.” Speaking of officers he knew who had committed suicide, he concluded, “Some of us just crack.”

Attacker Armed With A Knife Injures Several Police Officers Before Being Shot Dead

Assailant With Ceramic Knife Kills 4 Policemen At French Police Headquarters

Paris

In one of the most powerful moments seen in an American court in decades, the younger brother of Botham Jean, the young black man who was mistakenly shot and killed by Dallas police officer Amber Guyger when she thought he was in her apartment, told Guyger after she was sentenced to 10 years in prison that he forgave her and hoped the court would not send her to jail, asked the judge if he could hug her, and asked that she devote her life to Jesus Christ.
Brandt Jean said emotionally, “I wasn’t ever going to say this in front of my family or anyone, but I don’t even want you to go to jail. I want the best for you because I know that’s exactly what Botham would want you to do. And the best would be to give your life to Christ. I’m not going to say anything else. I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want you to do. Again, I love you as a person and I don’t wish anything bad on you.”
After taking several heavy breaths, he turned to the judge and said, “I don’t know if this is possible, but can I give her a hug, please? Please?
After a moment, the judge answered, “Yes.” Brandt Jean got up from his seat and he and Guyger met in a hug as many people in the court openly wept.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/us/amber-guyger-sentencing.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimes">The New York Times </a>reported, “A Dallas County jury deliberated for about an hour and a half before deciding upon a sentence that was well short of the maximum 99 years in prison Ms. Guyger could have received — but also longer than the two years jurors might have imposed.  Prosecutors had asked for a prison term of no shorter than 28 years, the age that Mr. Jean, whose birthday fell during the trial, would have been if he were alive today.”
In September 2018, Guyger, who was off-duty, had entered the apartment one floor directly above hers, which was Botham Jean&#8217;s, and thought there was an intruder. She opened fire, killing Botham Jean.
As <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2019/10/02/jurors-hear-testimony-sentencing-phase-amber-guygers-murder-trial/">The Dallas News</a> reported, outside the courtroom, there was anger over the verdict. Chants of &#8220;No justice, no peace,” were heard, as well as Dee Crane, the mother of Tavis Crane, who was shot by an Arlington police officer in 2017, crying, &#8220;How many of us does it take to get justice? What about my son? What about Botham Jean? How many of us is it going to take before you understand that our lives matter?&#8221; Rev. Michael Waters of of Joy Tabernacle African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in south Dallas, echoed, &#8220;It&#8217;s amazing how quickly injustice can be seized from the hands of justice. This is a travesty.&#8221;
But inside the courtroom, the atmosphere was quite different; Judge Tammy Kemp, who wept when Brandt Jean and Guyger hugged, herself hugged Guyger as Guyger whispered in her ear. Kemp answered quietly, &#8220;Ma&#8217;am, it&#8217;s not because I am good. It&#8217;s because I believe in Christ. None of us are worthy. Forgive yourself.&#8221;
Kemp told the Jean family, &#8220;Thank you for the way you modeled Christ. I&#8217;m so sorry. I&#8217;m so sorry for your loss.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Botham Jean. After her sentencing, his brother forgave her and embraced her. <a href="https://t.co/xIExvp4qsl">https://t.co/xIExvp4qsl</a> <a href="https://t.co/eVUuwyiMky">pic.twitter.com/eVUuwyiMky</a>
&mdash; FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX4/status/1179525118063566848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Funeral Held For Botham Shem Jean, Who Was Killed By Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger When She Entered Wrong Apartment

Must-Watch: Brother Of Man Killed By Female Cop Gives Shattering Speech Of Forgiveness

A police officer in Virginia was suspended late last month after reporting a potential illegal immigrant to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. released <a href="https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/chief-roesslers-statement-on-officers-custodial-detention-and-ice-notification/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">a statement</a> on Tuesday about the incident, which occurred on September 21. Roessler said the officer, who has not been named, was gathering details about a traffic accident when they discovered one of the driver’s involved did not have a Virginia Operator’s license. The officer obtained additional information from the driver to run a check with state DMV records. Upon doing so, the officer received a notification from ICE that the driver was wanted for failing to appear for a deportation hearing.
The officer contacted the ICE agent listed on the notification and was advised that they would arrive shortly. The officer then issued the driver a uniform summons for not having a license. The officer then detained the driver and handed them over to the ICE agent.
Roessler said that police officers are not to hand people over to ICE unless they are being arrested for another crime, citing FCPD General Order 601-Arrest procedures (VIII c. 5. 3.):
<blockquote>If the response reads “OUTSTANDING ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT OF REMOVAL” and the individual is not in custody or being taken into custody for any other violation of law, officers shall not confirm the hit through LESC and shall not take the individual into custody based solely upon the IVF hit. The majority of such administrative warrants represent civil violations of immigration law.</blockquote>
Roessler also noted that police officers are trained extensively not to detain individuals “for administrative warrants” and said the FCPD has “no authority to enforce federal law.”
Roessler said the officer “deprived a person of their freedom, which is unacceptable.” ICE told the department that the driver was released with an ankle monitor after three hours in custody.
“When I learned of this event, I directed an immediate internal investigation to look at all factors in this matter to ensure that all are held accountable for this violation. Our county is one of the most diverse counties in the nation and no one should have the perception that FCPD is acting as a civil immigration agent for ICE,” Roessler said. “This matter damages our reputation and the longstanding policy that I have stated many times that our officers shall not act as immigration agents. The officer involved in this event has been relieved of all law enforcement duties pending the outcome of this investigation. It is my duty to enforce our FCPD &#8212; and Fairfax County &#8212; policies and hold all accountable for their actions.”
Roessler <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/fairfax-county-officer-suspended-for-turning-driver-over-to-ice-after-accident-police-say/2019/10/01/ff4a161e-e46b-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html">told The Washington Post</a> that the officer who detained the immigrant had been a policeman for a “few years.” Roessler added that the officer did not willfully violate the department’s policy and was aware of his mistake.
“This is an unfortunate issue where the officer was confused,” Roessler told the outlet. “We have trained on this issue a lot. This is the first time we’ve had a lapse in judgment, and the officer is being punished.”

Police car

Police Officer Suspended After Cooperating With ICE

Virginia

When embattled Broward County, Florida Sheriff Scott Israel was removed from office in January 2019 by new Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Israel claimed that the decision was partisan, that it had nothing to do with his deputies’ disastrous performance during two deadly mass shootings, and that he had provided “amazing leadership” to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO). Now, the Florida Senate’s special master has <a href="https://wsvn.com/news/local/florida-senate-recommended-to-reinstate-suspended-broward-sheriff-scott-israel/">recommended</a> that Israel be reinstated, even though the Supreme Court of Florida upheld the governor’s decision to remove him in the first place.
But I was the executive officer of the BSO. And Scott Israel is lying. He neglected police work in favor of politics. The bloody massacres at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2017 and the Parkland high school in 2018 were the most visible consequences. But another insidious effect was Sheriff Israel’s willingness to shatter the morale of the BSO by appointing political cronies to key posts — including radicals linked with Islamist extremism.
I began my law enforcement career serving with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) when Rudy Giuliani was mayor. Under Giuliani, the direction of law enforcement was set by elected officials, but police policies and procedures were left to experienced, non-political leaders of the police department. That, I understood, was how a successful law enforcement agency should function.
That’s not what I observed while serving as the BSO’s executive officer. Instead, I saw politics permeate every layer of the agency until it completely delegitimized what was once the pride of South Florida’s law enforcement. Instead of the BSO functioning as a performance-directed institution, it acted more like a political campaign. Sheriff Israel surrounded himself with well-connected incompetents, who were unconcerned with the daily threats of crime, disorder, and terrorism. Sheriff Israel dared not fire them even when they made the most egregious mistakes. To do so would have harmed his political ambitions.
Upon taking office in 2013, Sheriff Israel appointed as his chief of staff Lisa Castillo, who had no prior law enforcement experience. In fact, she had no major work achievements in any previous position. Castillo served for a brief period as an intern with Mayor Ed Koch’s administration in New York City. From there, she had short stints in mid-level positions in local government. Despite her limited qualifications, the new sheriff apparently believed Castillo was qualified to serve on a very high level in an agency with a $900 million budget and 6,000 employees — and in a county of approximately 1.9 million residents.
However, Castillo brought something more valuable to Israel than education, experience, or competence: Political influence. Castillo was married to City Commissioner Angelo Castillo of Pembroke Pines, an important voting constituency in Broward County.
Pembroke Pines is also the location of the infamous <a href="https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/52481/do-not-be-fooled-by-these-moderates-in-florida">Darul Uloom</a> mosque, which is affiliated with the hardline South Asian Deobandi movement. The mosque’s imam, Shafayat Mohamed, was <a href="https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/52481/do-not-be-fooled-by-these-moderates-in-florida">involved</a> with a South African “backer” of Osama bin Laden. Mohamed has been thrown off several Florida nonprofit boards because of his bigoted statements about homosexuals. (The most notorious example was Mohamed’s 2005 article “<a href="http://imgur.com/vg8fGFs">Tsunami: Wrath of God</a>,” in which he claimed that homosexuality caused the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. He also called Christians and Jews “perverted transgressors.”) Worse, the mosque had counted among its members several future terrorists, including “dirty bomber” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-florida-padilla/u-s-judge-re-sentences-jose-padilla-to-21-years-on-terrorism-charges-idUSKBN0H41TW20140909">Jose Padilla</a>.
None of this stopped Sheriff Israel from establishing deep ties with Darul Uloom, at the urging of Lisa Castillo.
In August 2014, Israel appointed Nezar Hamze as a full-time deputy. Hamze was a regular attendee of Darul Uloom. When he was hired, he was also the regional operations director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), and had previously been CAIR-FL’s executive director. CAIR has a <a href="http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/CAIR_is_HAMAS.pdf">long history</a> of coordination with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2009, the FBI <a href="https://www.investigativeproject.org/1029/fbi-explains-its-cair-cut-off">cut off</a> all collaboration with CAIR after federal prosecutors named the Islamist group as an unindicted coconspirator in the largest terrorism financing case in U.S. history. And in 2014, the United Arab Emirates <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-group-cair-named-terrorist-organization-by-united-arab-emirates">designated</a> CAIR as a terrorist organization.
Hamze’s colleagues at CAIR-FL are deeply alarming. CAIR-FL Communications Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz regularly <a href="https://pjmedia.com/trending/islamist-civil-rights-activist-is-a-not-so-secret-anti-semite/">promotes</a> anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including canards about Jewish scripture popularized by the Nazis. CAIR-FL Director Hassan Shibly, meanwhile, has <a href="https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/blog/december-2017/leading-american-islamist-endorses-violent-antiahm">endorsed</a> a Deobandi organization that advocates the mass murder of Ahmadiyyas, a peaceful Muslim sect despised by Islamists.
The decision to hire the extremist-linked Hamze as a deputy was even more scandalous because he failed almost every step of the vetting process for the job. During his initial pre-employment interview in May 2013, three high-ranking BSO commanders — Major David Holmes, Major Michael DiMaggio, and Major Donn G. Peterson — all agreed not to recommend Hamze.
But Lisa Castillo advised the sheriff to overrule his commanders and to hire Hamze as a BSO deputy anyway. Hamze continued his position with CAIR-FL, despite the clear conflict of interest.
Shortly afterward, Scott Israel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1gcYmzywvg&amp;feature=youtu.be">attended</a> Darul Uloom along with Hamze, telling the congregation that it is important to “surround yourself with like-minded people.” Courting Broward’s growing Muslim voting population appeared to be a priority for both Israel and Castillo. To no one’s surprise, in May 2019, Angelo Castillo announced his candidacy for mayor of Pembroke Pines.
Israel has tried to explain these events as an effort to reach out to diverse audiences. However, Castillo had a remarkably narrow idea of which audiences were considered “diverse.” When staff suggested the sheriff’s office reach out to Jewish and Christian organizations to lecture on post-9/11 security issues, we were met with resistance from Sheriff Israel and his chief of staff. Meanwhile, at the suggestion of Castillo, Israel ordered members of his Community Outreach Unit to participate in prayer sessions at the Darul Uloom mosque on a regular basis.
The rank and file of the BSO, men and women dedicated to their calling, recognized that preventing crime and promoting law and order took a backseat to politics during the Scott Israel regime. The politicization of the agency, the incompetence of the command staff, and the lack of training and experience in dealing with critical incidents created a fatally negative environment that consumed the entire agency. The hiring of Nezar Hamze was only the worst example. It is hardly surprising that morale and training deteriorated, contributing to the disasters at Parkland and Fort Lauderdale.
A wise man once said said: “Experience is the hardest kind of teacher because you take the test first and the lesson second.” Sheriff Israel, his chief of staff Lisa Castillo, and the BSO’s command staff never learned the lesson. They were willing to sacrifice the safety of Floridians in return for short-sighted political advantage. History will not be kind to Scott Israel; he will be remembered as the sheriff whose decisions failed the test of time and whose “amazing leadership” inspired no one.
Russell Di Perna is the former executive officer to the Sheriff of Broward County. He is a retired NYPD officer, and previously served in the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy. He is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University, where he studied political science, and of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, where he pursued Counter-Terrorism Studies.

High School shooting in Parkland

DI PERNA: Sheriff Scott Israel Embraced Extremists to Secure His Own Political Future

Florida

Parkland Shooting

Radical Islam

Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Gallardo was receiving an award from City Hall after being named “April 2019 Deputy of the Month.” Gallardo had arrested an El Salvador man who was wanted by Interpol and had a warrant for his arrest for committing a murder.
After Gallardo and other officers received their awards, they took a photo with Tamarac, Florida, Mayor Michelle J. Gomez and several city commissioners. After the photo, Commissioner Mike Gelin took the microphone and called out Gallardo for falsely arresting him four years earlier.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/28/us/broward-county-deputy.html">reported</a> that Gelin told Gallardo: “You probably don’t remember me, but you are the police officer who falsely arrested me four years ago.”
“You lied on the police report,” Gelin continued. “I believe you are a rogue police officer. You are a bad police officer, and you don’t deserve to be here.”
The moment was <a href="https://tamaracfl.new.swagit.com/videos/33371">caught on camera</a>.
“Ms. Gomez quickly grabbed the microphone and told the deputies that city officials appreciated ‘everything that you do for us,’” the Times reported. “It was the first ceremony the city hosted to recognize outstanding deputies.”
Gelin had been arrested by Gallardo in 2015 after filming an encounter between the police officer and two men fighting in the street. Gallardo, a white officer, told Gelin, a black man, to stop filming. Gelin kept recording, and Gallardo arrested him for resisting without violence, according to the Times.
Gallardo’s report of the arrest said Gelin approached him from behind and was arrested after refusing to leave the scene. Gelin said he was in prison for nine hours before the charges were dropped thanks to the video on his phone.
“I was profoundly affected by my wrongful arrest,” Gelin told the Times. “It was a traumatizing experience and I think about it a lot. I had a flashback at the meeting and thought it was the right thing to do to call out the officer.”
“Wrongful arrests have lifelong impacts on people and happen more than people would want to believe,” he added. “I need to be a voice for the people who don’t feel like they have a voice or the courage to express their voice.”
Mayor Gomez called Gelin’s behavior during the awards ceremony “highly inappropriate.”
“This was neither the time nor the forum to air personal grievances,” she wrote in an email to the Times. “This is NOT the way we treat employees or people who work for our city. There are proper channels to follow, but the commissioner chose not to use them.”
The outlet reported that Sheriff Gregory Tony told Gelin he would open an internal investigation into the commissioner’s arrest.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association called Gelin “an insult to law enforcement” in a statement to the Times.
“It is outrageous that Commissioner Gelin acted in an official capacity to berate a deputy who was just recognized for apprehending a known gang member wanted for homicide who has previously been deported,” said union president Jeff Bell.
Gelin said he has received some racist messages since news broke of his remarks, but also told the Times that many members of minority communities have been supportive.

Lawman

City Commissioner Calls Out ‘Rogue’ Police Officer At Awards Ceremony

In July, Minneapolis Police Officer and U.S. Army veteran Chris Kelley announced his intention to run for office as an independent in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District (CD5). Kelley will not only be facing Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has occupied the seat since 2018, but also the Republican who wins the party’s primary (there are currently four who have announced a run).
In 2018, Omar defeated Republican opponent Jennifer Zielinski 78% to 21.7% (a whopping 56.3% difference).
The following is part two of a two-part interview with Chris Kelley in which the candidate speaks about the border crisis, how his experience in the military and police will shape him as a legislator, the extreme partisanship in Congress, and President Trump.
Make sure to check out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/interview-part-i-army-veteran-chris-kelley-rises-to-challenge-ilhan-omar-in-2020">part one</a> where Kelley discussed Ilhan Omar, running as an independent, his priorities if elected, and why he decided to jump into the race.
<blockquote>DW: How will your experience working as a police officer help you as an elected official?
KELLEY: Well, not only as a police officer, but I&#8217;m ex-military, too, for a number of years. Going with the military, I&#8217;ve deployed, I&#8217;ve been overseas, we worked with other cultures, worked with other people to try and find solutions. It just wasn&#8217;t a military thing. The last time in Iraq, we were helping – the area we were working in, our operating area, I should say – finding out what was going on, what was making people unhappy, what was working. We worked on a little bit of nation-building. I know that&#8217;s not the primary goal of the military, but you&#8217;re trying to help them all get back on their feet. So, I was out with a lot of other people. We were talking to the local governments, trying to find out what their issues were, and helping them try to rectify things, whether it was healthcare or utility issues. Anywhere we could help. I think it was a good experience the last time I went there. It wasn&#8217;t a combat role, as [much as] helping the population stand up.
Going back to the police – we work with all different kinds of people. I&#8217;m expected to make decisions in seconds and minutes. Just think what I could do as a legislator. I have time to maybe get some meaningful legislation done. I think both roles I&#8217;ve held before will prep me immensely for this new role if I&#8217;m fortunate enough to get elected. It&#8217;s just another way I can serve. And I&#8217;ve been doing it from a young age, 18, from the military and going to the PD. I think they prepped me very well there helping serve.
DW: Are you concerned that running as an independent could split the vote?
KELLEY: I truly believe, based on internal polling numbers that we have, that there are a number of disenfranchised moderate Republicans and Democrats who are sick and tired of the paralysis of extremes. I think my candidacy gives them an option to meet in the middle. Because Minnesota has always had a penchant for third party candidates, which is evidenced by its voting history, I believe there is a real opportunity here. I think they are looking for someone who will actually work for the district and not just enhance their own celebrity.
DW: So there&#8217;s a stronger incentive to run as an independent in Minnesota than in other states?
KELLEY: Correct. I&#8217;m not saying it&#8217;s for everywhere, but Minnesota does have a history with the Independence Party, and people do gravitate toward it. I think this is a great time for people to really give a good look at us again. It kind of waned. People need another viable alternative, and I think we&#8217;re it. I really do.
DW: What do you think Congress in general is lacking?
KELLEY: I just think they&#8217;re not working. It&#8217;s so partisan and divided now. You look at the Left. They seem to be just focused on getting the President, and that&#8217;s where all the time and effort seems to be going. They&#8217;re failing their constituents. The Republicans, again, are digging their heels in, fighting things or countering what the Democrats are doing. It&#8217;s nothing. There&#8217;s no effective legislation. There&#8217;s nothing being done.
Here&#8217;s a prime example. A few months ago with the border crisis, when it &#8220;wasn&#8217;t a crisis,&#8221; then it &#8220;was a crisis.&#8221; Well, all the Left was doing was criticizing the border patrol and everything they were doing. They were undermanned, underfunded, and being overwhelmed, quite frankly, with everybody coming across the border. But the Republicans did nothing to help them out either. We&#8217;re stagnated. I&#8217;m hoping that maybe this next election, new people will come in [with] new ideas, and at least they&#8217;ll be in the mindset that we need to work together to get things done. Because right now, it&#8217;s not happening. And again, it&#8217;s both sides that are failing us.
DW: What&#8217;s your hope for the border? What would you look to accomplish?
KELLEY: Primarily, we do need to secure it. You don&#8217;t have a country without a secure border – and it&#8217;s not only because of immigration. If you look at the human trafficking, if you look at the narcotics, there may be even a terrorism issue coming up through that porous border. I really think you need to secure that first and foremost.
Going to another issue, with immigration, I want to support DACA. I believe that kids who came in at a young age or were born here, they don&#8217;t know anywhere else, so we’ve definitely got to help them out. I think that should be a priority. And finally, I believe in lawful immigration. It makes our country richer with people coming in. And I know people want to come here to have a better life, and we should support that as long as they do it the right way.
But on the border right now, it&#8217;s just not a good situation, and I&#8217;m glad that the president was – I don&#8217;t support him 100% – but I&#8217;m glad he stepped in and is doing something. It&#8217;s good to see or military coming and helping secure the border and getting some things straightened out.
Also, I&#8217;d to like see these immigration ports, maybe we need to expand on that, too, expedite this long wait, if we could help out in that place. I know we&#8217;re already dealing with the asylum issue. Maybe they need to expand that until some kind of meaningful law gets passed.
DW: I know you&#8217;re running as an independent, but if you are elected, there are a lot of Republicans and some others who are unwilling or unable to criticize the President. If he&#8217;s doing something right, they&#8217;ll praise him. But if he&#8217;s doing something wrong, they&#8217;ll just remain silent. Would you be willing to disagree vocally with the President?
KELLEY: Well, sure I could disagree vocally, but I&#8217;m not going to attack him. But yes, I&#8217;m not going to be a rubber stamp from the president. I do lean conservative. I like some of the things he&#8217;s done, i.e. the economy&#8217;s good. I like that he supports first responders and the military. That&#8217;s very important to me. I like finally getting a president that&#8217;s very vocal about that.
I don&#8217;t like the late-night Twitter rants that he&#8217;s been doing, and a lot of people don&#8217;t agree with that. He&#8217;s the president, but he also has the right to reach out to the people in any way, shape, or form he wants to. But yeah, I would not be afraid if it was something that I was very passionate about. No problems. But, I think we need to go there to legislate and cooperate.
DW: Is there anything that we haven&#8217;t touched on that you would want our readership, or voters in general, to know about you or your campaign?
KELLEY: I&#8217;m just very honored by all of the support I&#8217;ve received from all over the place. I know there&#8217;s a strong Republican interest in the district, but there&#8217;s a strong interest in the district for an individual. I&#8217;ve been well supported, you know, running as an independent, and I want to say I&#8217;m very humbled with how people have been reaching out to me and supporting me in all forms.
And we&#8217;re going to run a good campaign. We&#8217;re not looking at negative aspects. We just want to get out there and throw our message out about what we can do for the district.</blockquote>
Remember to check out part one of this interview <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/interview-part-i-army-veteran-chris-kelley-rises-to-challenge-ilhan-omar-in-2020">here</a>, and for more information on Chris Kelley, visit his official campaign website <a href="http://www.votechriskelley.com/">here</a>.

Chris Kelley.

INTERVIEW (Part II): Ilhan Omar Challenger Chris Kelley Talks Border Crisis, Trump, Hyper-Partisanship, And More

2020 Election

Ilhan Omar

U.S. Army

Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal was conducting a routine traffic stop on Friday when he was shot in the head.
He had pulled over a vehicle in Harris County, Texas. Dashcam footage showed he and the driver talking with “no combat, no arguing,” sheriff Major Mike Lee told reporters Friday, according to <a href="https://abc13.com/suspect-given-no-bond-in-murder-of-harris-county-sheriffs-deputy/5575271/">CNN affiliate KTRK</a>. The driver’s door was open as the two men talked. Dhaliwal then shut the door before turning to walk back to his patrol car. At that time the suspect, 47-year-old Robert Solis, got out of his vehicle and “almost immediately running with a gun already out,” Lee added. Dhaliwal was shot in the back of the head and later died from his injuries, <a href="https://abc13.com/5573573/">reported KTRK</a>.
&#8220;In a cold-blooded manner, ambush style, (he) shot Deputy Dhaliwal from behind,&#8221; Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters. “It&#8217;s the worst day, the worst nightmare for any police executive.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/28/us/texas-sikh-deputy-shot-saturday/index.html">reported</a> that police used Dhaliwal’s dashcam to identify Solis and arrested him at a nearby ice cream parlor.
Gonzalez <a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffEd_HCSO/status/1177773283950960641">tweeted</a> that Solis “had an active Parole Violation Warrant for Aggravated Assault w/Deadly Weapon dating back to January 2017.”
Lee said Friday that Solis “probably knew he was going to go back to jail and did not want to go back to jail.&#8221;
Dhaliwal, CNN reported, gained national attention in 2015 after he was given permission to wear his turban and full beard as part of his religion. Dhaliwal, an observant Sikh, had owned his own trucking business before joining the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. When he heard the office was looking for someone who could connect with the local Sikh community, he sold his business and became a detention officer, eventually becoming a deputy.
Six years after joining the police department, an official policy change allowed him to wear his turban and beard while on duty.
&#8220;As a Sikh American, I felt the need to represent the Sikh community in law enforcement,&#8221; Dhaliwal said when the policy was issued. &#8220;It will give me the chance to open up the conversation.&#8221;
His coworkers remember him as a beloved member of the community. Harris County police commissioner Adrian Garcia said Dhaliwal had “a heart of gold.”
&#8220;This guy had a heart of gold. He treated his brothers and sisters in law enforcement as if they were just brothers and sisters. He thought of them before he thought of himself. He thought of the broader community before he thought of himself,&#8221; Garcia said.
Gonzalez said Dhaliwal “wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride and he was respected by all.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turn <a href="https://twitter.com/SylvesterTurner/status/1177731537149804544">tweeted</a> that Dhaliwal “represented the diversity and inclusiveness of our community and everything that is good. Evil you do not win here.”
Members of the community also sent footage of Dhaliwal interacting with residents. One woman sent a video of the deputy playing with her deaf son at a restaurant.
“A Harris County resident sent us a video of fallen Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal,” the sheriff’s office tweeted. “‘He laughed and joked with all of us, and left a bright impression on my son who is deaf,’ she said.  Deputy Dhaliwal is an incredible loss not only to our HCSO family but to the entire community.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Harris County resident sent us a video of fallen Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal.
“He laughed and joked with all of us, and left a bright impression on my son who is deaf,” she said.
Deputy Dhaliwal is an incredible loss not only to our HCSO family but to the entire community. <a href="https://t.co/EbsdFeeWXO">pic.twitter.com/EbsdFeeWXO</a>
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) <a href="https://twitter.com/HCSOTexas/status/1177796393349603328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Military funeral

Officer Dies After Being Shot During Traffic Stop, Dashcam Helps Identify Alleged Killer

Crime

Murder

The U.S. Department of Justice has recently sued the Baltimore County government alleging that its written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against black applicants. It turns out that black applicants failed the written test at a rate much greater than white applicants. That results in fewer blacks being trained and hired as police officers. John A. Olszewski Jr., Baltimore County Executive said: &#8220;A law enforcement agency should look like the community it serves. As I have said repeatedly since taking office, I am committed to increasing diversity in the county&#8217;s Police Department.&#8221;
Baltimore City uses Municipal Police Selection Test. You can examine some sample questions at its website. I&#8217;d like to know which of the questions are either unrelated to police work or racist. Many jurisdictions use The National Police Officer Selection Test. You can examine some of the sample questions at its website. Again, I&#8217;d like to know which of the questions are unrelated to police work or are racially biased questions. In addition, it has been found that MPST and POST are successful predictors of law enforcement training success and job performance.
Black performance on police exams is simply the tip of the iceberg of a truly tragic cruelty. That cruelty stands front and center when one examines the education that most blacks in Baltimore receive. Several years ago, Project Baltimore began an investigation of Baltimore&#8217;s school system. What they found was an utter disgrace. In 19 of Baltimore&#8217;s high schools, out of 3,804 students, only 14 of them, or less than 1%, were proficient in math. In 13 of Baltimore&#8217;s 39 high schools, not a single student scored proficient in math. In five Baltimore City high schools, not a single student scored proficient in math or reading. Despite these academic deficiencies, about 70% of the students graduate and are conferred a high school diploma. A high school diploma attests that the holder can read, write and compute at a 12th-grade level. Obviously, the diplomas conferred on students who have not mastered reading, writing and computing are fraudulent.
When a person who cannot read, write and compute very well takes a written employment exam, including that to become a police officer, he is going to encounter difficulties. His difficulties are not caused by any racially discriminatory aspect of the test. His difficulties are a result of not having acquired what he should have acquired by the time he finished high school. But that is not how such a person sees it. He sees that he has a high school diploma just as a white applicant has a high school diploma. To him, any difference in treatment and outcomes must be the result of racial discrimination. Thus, the U.S. Department of Justice sued, claiming that the written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against black applicants.
The conclusion that Baltimore County&#8217;s written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against black applicants is tragic. It allows Baltimore public schools to continue to produce fraudulent education. You say: &#8220;Hold it, Williams! You can&#8217;t blame everything on schools.&#8221; You&#8217;re right. One cannot blame schools and teachers for students who are hostile to the education process. One cannot blame schools and teachers for a rotten home environment or derelict parents. But there is one thing entirely within the control of educators. That&#8217;s their power to issue diplomas. When they confer high school diplomas on youngsters who cannot read, write and compute at or near a 12th-grade level, they are engaging in fraudulent conduct.
Dr. Thomas Sowell&#8217;s research in &#8220;Education: Assumptions Versus History&#8221; documents academic excellence at Baltimore&#8217;s Frederick Douglass High School and others. This academic excellence occurred during an era when blacks were much poorer and faced gross racial discrimination. It&#8217;s worthwhile reading for black people to learn the capabilities of other blacks facing so many challenging circumstances. I&#8217;m wondering when the black community will demand an end to an educational environment that condemns so many youngsters to mediocrity.
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Police Tape

WILLIAMS: Racist Exam Questions?

Baltimore

Department of Justice

Race

This week, a Seattle policeman who had cleaned up a homeless camp in January filed suit against the city, claiming he had been exposed to toxic chemical compounds polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Officer Timothy Gifford was cleaning up a camp in a gravel lot in the Sodo neighborhood when he was allegedly exposed to the chemicals. As the <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-police-officer-assigned-to-clean-up-homeless-camps-files-10-million-claim-alleges-polluted-site-made-him-sick/">Seattle Times</a> notes, &#8220;City records and officials have acknowledged the homeless-encampment removal occurred, and separately, that the city-owned industrial lot where the camp stood was later found to be contaminated, requiring ongoing environmental remediation.&#8221;
The Seattle Times added, &#8220;Gifford was among the city&#8217;s Navigation Team of police officers and outreach workers assigned to coax homeless campers into shelters and remove encampments the city has deemed unsafe. The city <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/before-the-tent-camps-are-cleared-this-seattle-team-coaxes-the-homeless-toward-shelter/">formed the team in February 2017</a> as it intensified efforts to clean up and remove dozens of homeless encampments.&#8221;
Giffords <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6420515-Timothy-Gifford-Tort-Claim.html">filed a $10 million claim</a>, saying exposure to the chemicals had triggered early onset Type 2 diabetes. The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6420515-Timothy-Gifford-Tort-Claim.html">lawsuit</a> cites <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.1104247">a medical research study</a> that linked exposure to PCBs as a possible trigger for increased diabetes. The lawsuit also notes that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) &#8220;banned the production of PCBs in the United States in 1977.&#8221; It follows by stating that the problem with the area Giffords had been working in was allegedly discovered five months later:
<blockquote>On June 5, 2019, SPU Source Control Inspector Michael Jeffords was driving through the industrial area of south Seattle in the lower Duwamish Waterway drainage area. He noticed a strong smell of PCBs in the air as he drove east on Denver Ave S and stopped the car … He changed his work plans for the day and gathered supplies to take samples of the roadway shoulder right-of-way (ROW) and adjacent stormwater inlet and catch basin for PCB analysis …
On June 19, 2019 sample analytical results came back for the ROW and stormwater structures taken at the on June 5, 2019. The ROW sample had PCB level of 40, 300 ppm, well above our level of concern of 1 ppm. In addition, the stormwater inlet had 6.970 ppm PCBs and the catch basin solids were at 69 ppm.</blockquote>
The lawsuit asserts, &#8220;According to internal documents that have not been released to the general public, it is believed that at least 59 employees of the city of Seattle were exposed to the PCBs at the homeless encampment.&#8221; It concludes, &#8220;Overall, the city of Seattle caused the injuries to Officer Gifford by allowing the homeless encampment to exist in the first place thereby creating a dangerous nuisance to the community.&#8221;
Dave Bartus, an EPA toxic cleanup project coordinator, told the Seattle Times that officials involved with the cleanup believe the PCBs may have come from a homeless camp resident draining fluids from an electrical transformer.
Giffords’ attorney, Lincoln Beauregard, stated, &#8220;My client’s objective for filing this claim isn’t solely about his own medical needs. He wants to make sure that the other city workers who may have been exposed know that they could be sick, too, and he wants the city to put protocols in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.&#8221;

Seattle

Cop Cleaned Up Seattle Homeless Site. Dangerous Chemicals There Triggered Him To File This Lawsuit.

Homelessness

The Colin Kaepernick &#8220;Dream Crazy&#8221; Nike commercial from September 2018, which spearheaded the 30th anniversary of the company&#8217;s iconic &#8220;Just Do It&#8221; ad campaign, won the Creative Arts Emmy on Sunday night, reports <a href="https://people.com/sports/colin-kaepernicks-nike-ad-wins-an-emmy-for-best-commercial/">People</a>.
The two-minute ad featured the former NFL quarterback sharing inspirational messages about achieving dreams no matter how crazy they may sound over varying clips of people with adverse circumstances performing tremendous feats.
&#8220;If people say your dreams are crazy, if they laugh at what you think you can do,&#8221; said Kaepernick in the ad. &#8220;Good. Stay that way. Because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult, it’s a compliment.&#8221;
&#8220;Don’t try to be the fastest runner in your school,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Or the fastest in the world, be the fastest ever. Don’t picture yourself wearing LBJ’s jersey; picture LBJ wearing yours. Don’t settle for homecoming queen or linebacker: Do both. Lose 120 pounds and become an Ironman after beating a brain tumor. Don’t believe you have to be like anybody to be somebody. If you’re born a refugee, don’t let it stop you from playing soccer for the national team at age 16.&#8221;
The ad reached its climax by cutting to Colin Kaepernick walking down the street as he intoned that now-famous phrase: &#8220;Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.&#8221;
Nike&#8217;s choice to make Kaepernick the face of the ad came after he launched the #TakeAKnee campaign, which inspired scores of social justice-minded NFL players to kneel during the national anthem due to claims of police brutality against communities of color.
&#8220;I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,&#8221; Kaepernick <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-protest-of-national-anthem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told NFL Media</a> in 2016. &#8220;To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.&#8221;
After opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, Kaepernick became a free agent and has not been signed to an NFL team since — leading many to believe that he has been persecuted for his political views.
At times, some on the Left over the past couple of years have compared Kaepernick to such historic civil rights icons as Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali. Sports Illustrated even went so far as to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/24218/sports-illustrated-awards-kaepernick-muhammad-ali-paul-bois">award him</a> with the &#8220;Muhammad Ali Award.&#8221;
&#8220;I am proud to be able to present this to Colin for his passionate defense of social justice and civil rights for all people,&#8221; said Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s widow, at the time. &#8220;Like Muhammad, Colin is a man who stands on his convictions with confidence and courage, undaunted by the personal sacrifices he has had to make to have his message heard. And he has used his celebrity and philanthropy to the benefit of some of our most vulnerable community members.&#8221;

colinkaep.jpg

Colin Kaepernick Nike Commercial Wins Emmy Award

Colin Kaepernick

Leftism

Nike

Social Justice

After tweets he had issued in 2016 and 2017 surfaced showing him saying the American flag &#8220;represents a systemic history of racism,&#8221; and adding, &#8220;Police are part of that system,&#8221; Jamie R. Riley, the University of Alabama&#8217;s assistant vice president and dean of students, resigned on Thursday.
The tweets were published by <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/09/04/university-of-alabama-dean-american-flag-and-police-represent-systemic-history-of-racism/">Breitbart News</a> earlier this week, which reported, &#8220;Riley&#8217;s account, which was accessible to the public on Friday morning, has now been locked so only his approved followers can view his tweets.&#8221;
As <a href="https://cw.ua.edu/54140/top-stories/breaking-dean-of-students-allegedly-resigns-after-pictures-of-past-tweets-surface/">The Crimson White</a> reported, Jackson Fuentes, press secretary for the UA Student Government Association, said on Thursday, &#8220;For us right now, basically all I can tell you is that the University and Dr. Riley have mutually agreed to part ways. So yeah, that&#8217;s true, and we do wish him the best.&#8221;
Assistant Director of the Division of Strategic Communications Chris Bryant stated, &#8220;Dr. Jamie Riley has resigned his position at The University of Alabama by mutual agreement. Neither party will have any further comments.&#8221; Steven Hood, Associate Vice President of Student Life, echoed, &#8220;Dr. Jamie Riley has resigned his position at The University of Alabama by mutual agreement. Neither the university or Dr. Riley will have any further comments.&#8221;
Riley&#8217;s tweets included these statements: &#8220;The [American flag emoji] flag represents a systemic history of racism for my people. Police are a part of that system. Is it that hard to see the correlation?&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;m baffled about the 1st thing white people say is &#8216;That&#8217;s not racist!&#8217; when they can&#8217;t even experience racism. You have 0 opinion!&#8221; &#8220;Are movies about slavery truly about educating the unaware, or to remind Black people of our place in society?&#8221;
The Crimson White noted, &#8220;Riley was named to the position on Dec. 13, 2018 after a national search and he began serving on Feb. 25, 2019. Before gaining the position at the University of Alabama, Riley served as the executive director and chief operating officer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He also served in student affairs and diversity and inclusion roles at institutions including Johns Hopkins University, The University of California-Berkeley and Morehouse College.&#8221;
The announcement from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in 2017 that Riley would be the next executive director <a href="https://apa1906.net/alpha-introduces-its-new-executive-director-brother-jamie-r-riley-ph-d/">stated</a>: &#8220;Brother Riley has focused his research and administrative practice on addressing the impact of culturally oppressive campus climates on the success of African-American and black male college students attending predominantly white institutions. Jamie&#8217;s doctoral dissertation, titled; Racism, Discrimination, and Prejudice: Through the Voices of Black Men on Predominately White College Campuses, investigated the impact of race and racism on African-American and black male students ability to thrive academically, socially, and developmentally.&#8221;
Riley voiced his own goals:
<blockquote>I think it is crucial that we streamline processes and procedures to align with the fraternal organizational structure and the needs of individual brothers. The General Office is the place where brothers should come to find solutions and answers in a timely fashion. Our staffing has to be adequate to meet the needs of brothers, chapters, districts, regions, and the general body all at the same time. I believe the better utilization of technology and personnel will help us to achieve that and much more.</blockquote>

University Of Alabama Dean Of Students Resigns: Said American Flag ‘Represents A Systemic History Of Racism’

Alabama

Add “Florida Cat” to the list of hilarious Sunshine State headlines. Police in Collier County, Florida, responded to call from a homeowner who had heard “suspicious noises” in their home. Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/cat-burglar-detained-florida">reported</a> that when police arrived, they discovered the source of the noise — a cat; street name, “Bones.”
A paw-sitive identification was made using Bones’ micro-chip. He was “detained” by police and remanded to his human. The police who responded to the call posted about the incident on Facebook.
“Last night Sgt. Sudano, Cpl. Caceres, Cpl. Nova and Cpl. Henderson responded to a residence on 60th Avenue N.E. in reference to a suspicious incident that was possibly a burglary in progress,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said in the post. “Upon arrival it was discovered that a small feline was the culprit behind the disturbing sounds that prompted the call. The ‘cat burglar’ was quickly detained and turned over to Collier County Domestic Animal Services for safekeeping and fur-ther questioning.”
<div class="embed"><iframe width="500" height="771" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>
Police later updated the post to say: “Great news! Our cat burglar was micro-chipped. He has been identified as Bones and our partners at D.A.S. are in the process of contacting his owner!”
A photo of Bones in the back of a squad car accompanied the post.
At this time, Bones has not been charged with any felineys and has hopefully learned his lesson.
Bones is not the only feline to run into trouble with the law. In April, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/46453/seattle-has-been-fining-cat-thousands-dollars-yes-ashe-schow">reported</a> that Miska, a 10-year-old brown tabby had been fined thousands of dollars after neighbors complained about her behavior. Miska’s human, Anna Danieli, was ordered to pay the fines after Miska was accused of “trespassing” and being a “vicious animal at large.” At least 30 complaints had been lodged against Miska, prompting Danieli to file a lawsuit against the four prosecutors allegedly assigned to her case.
At one point, Miska was even sent to “kitty jail” and ordered to be euthanized. Thankfully, it has not come to that, and Danieli paid her “bail” — kenneling fees for her stint in an animal control facility. Danieli said Miska’s troubles are due to a former Regional Animal Services of King County manager who lived in her neighborhood.
“…. of the approximately 20,000 infractions filed by RASKC over a ten-year period, approximately 50 involved cats, and most of these infractions involved Miska,” Danieli’s lawsuit states.
Danieli claims that the RASKC manager encouraged neighbors to report complaints against Miska.

bones

Homeowner Hears ‘Suspicious Noises.’ It Turns Out To Be A Literal Cat Burglar.

On Tuesday, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that permits adults to refuse to help a police officer who needs help making an arrest.
The bill, SB 192, sponsored by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, (D-LA), was written to repeal the California Posse Comitatus Act of 1872; Hertzberg called the old bill a &#8220;vestige of a bygone era&#8221; that forces citizens into &#8220;an untenable moral dilemma,&#8221; as reported by <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article234664847.html">The Sacramento Bee</a>.
The <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB192">bill states</a>:
<blockquote>Existing law makes an able-bodied person 18 years of age or older who neglects or refuses to join the posse comitatus or power of the county, by neglecting or refusing to aid and assist, as described, in making an arrest, retaking into custody a person who has escaped from arrest or imprisonment, or preventing a breach of the peace or the commission of any criminal offense, after being lawfully required by a uniformed peace officer or a judge, guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to punishment by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000.
This bill would repeal that provision and make conforming changes.</blockquote>
The California State Sheriff’s Association, which opposed the bill, stated, &#8220;There are situations in which a peace officer might look to private persons for assistance in matters of emergency or risks to public safety and we are unconvinced that this statute should be repealed.&#8221;
The Bee noted, &#8220;The law was cited as recently as 2014, when the Trinity County Sheriff&#8217;s Office invoked posse comitatus in its defense during a lawsuit filed by a man and woman alleging <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article216246885.html">they were deceived</a> into responding to a dangerous 911 call on the office’s behalf.&#8221;
In August, Newsom signed <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB392">AB392</a>, which directed police to &#8220;use deadly force only when necessary in defense of human life.&#8221; The <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB392">bill stated</a>:
<blockquote>Existing law authorizes a peace officer to use reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape, or to overcome resistance. Existing law does not require an officer to retreat or desist from an attempt to make an arrest because of resistance or threatened resistance of the person being arrested.</blockquote>
It continued:
<blockquote>This bill would redefine the circumstances under which a homicide by a peace officer is deemed justifiable to include when the officer reasonably believes, based on the totality of the circumstances, that deadly force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to another person, or to apprehend a fleeing person for a felony that threatened or resulted in death or serious bodily injury, if the officer reasonably believes that the person will cause death or serious bodily injury to another unless the person is immediately apprehended.</blockquote>
The word &#8220;necessary&#8221; was the key change; as the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Gavin-Newsom-to-sign-California-bill-tightening-14347631.php">San Francisco Chronicle</a> noted of Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, (D-San Diego), who introduced the bill, &#8220;Weber argued that current law on when police could open fire was too broad. That standard, established by the U.S. Supreme Court in a pair of cases, considers whether a &#8216;reasonable&#8217; officer in a similar situation would have acted the same way.&#8221;
The Chronicle continued, &#8220;Law enforcement organizations lobbied against the bill&#8217;s language directing police to use deadly force &#8216;only when necessary in defense of human life.&#8217; They said it would put officers in danger by causing them to second-guess themselves in circumstances that call for split-second decisions.&#8221;

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