Oakland mayor fires police chief after investigation

• Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fired police chief LeRonne Armstrong.
• “There are systemic issues that the city needs to address.”
• Why was Armstrong fired?

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has fired Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong. The mayor issued a press release explaining what led her to make this drastic decision.

“I believe strongly in the future of Oakland. Our police department has made great strides over the years to be fair to Oakland residents and its own officers. But there is a lot more to do, and my job is to make absolutely sure we continue our progress,» the mayor said.

Why was LeRonne Armstrong fired?

The news of LeRonne Armstrong’s firing comes weeks after he was placed on administrative leave after an investigation found that he was responsible for «a series of lapses in the department’s disciplinary system,» according to Oakland Side.

Following the report, the police chief «made a number of statements that troubled me,» according to Mayor Sheng Thao. But what did Armstrong say that was so concerning?

Chief LeRonne Armstrong denied «systemic problems»

According to the statement reviewed by MundoNOW, LeRonne Armstrong said the officers did not «behave poorly» and that he «did not believe these incidents reflected systemic problems.»

«He publicly stated that the sergeant involved in a vehicle collision was held accountable, disregarding the independent investigator’s findings of serious flaws in the disciplinary process,» the mayor added

Federal judge was deeply disappointed

The mayor also said she took the time to review «review the cases and consider the evidence and conclusions as to each of the subject officers, including Chief Armstrong.» In addition, she noted that sharing the details of these cases would be «inappropriate».

“[I]t is clear to me that there are systemic issues the City needs to address, and that we cannot simply write them off as “mistakes.”… The federal judge overseeing the City said that he was profoundly disappointed in the evidence he’d seen,» Sheng Thao stated.

Mayor Thao says she no longer trusts Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong

“Chief Armstrong has my respect and appreciation for his service to the Department and to the City that he grew up in and that he loves dearly. He will continue to have my respect and appreciation. But I am no longer confident that Chief Armstrong can do the work needed to achieve the vision,” the mayor added.

“So today, I have decided to separate Chief LeRonne Armstrong from the City without cause,” Thao said. “This was not an easy decision but it’s one I believe is necessary for that progress to continue. It’s precisely because I admire Chief Armstrong that this has been personally difficult,» one could read in the mayor’s tatement.