Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fired embattled Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong on Wednesday amid a misconduct scandal that engulfed the department and ensured its continued federal oversight.
Armstrong, a 20-year Oakland police veteran and the city’s top cop since 2021, is the latest in a series of chiefs to either be shown the door or resign amid controversy.
The firing is a major political move by Thao, who was elected in November and has won support from progressives by aligning herself with advocates for police accountability.
The mayor said she was troubled by Armstrong’s public statements downplaying the actions of a police sergeant at the center of the scandal, whose misconduct led to a series of cover-ups by higher-ranking officers.
“It is clear to me that there are systemic issues the city needs to address and that we cannot simply write them off as mistakes,” Thao said at the news conference.
“And I personally believe this report shows the absolute necessity of continued reforms to address the issues that have been brought to light,” she added later.
Thao terminated the chief without cause and is not required to provide a justification for her decision, unlike the Oakland Police Commission, a citizen body that was set to meet later Wednesday to consider the chief’s future.
Thao’s decision came less than a month after the release of a bombshell independent report that outlined numerous accountability failures within the Oakland Police Department.
Mercury News
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fired embattled Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong on Wednesday amid a misconduct scandal that engulfed the department and ensured its continued federal oversight.
Armstrong, a 20-year Oakland police veteran and the city’s top cop since 2021, is the latest in a series of chiefs to either be shown the door or resign amid controversy.
The firing is a major political move by Thao, who was elected in November and has won support from progressives by aligning herself with advocates for police accountability.
The mayor said she was troubled by Armstrong’s public statements downplaying the actions of a police sergeant at the center of the scandal, whose misconduct led to a series of cover-ups by higher-ranking officers.
“It is clear to me that there are systemic issues the city needs to address and that we cannot simply write them off as mistakes,” Thao said at the news conference.
“And I personally believe this report shows the absolute necessity of continued reforms to address the issues that have been brought to light,” she added later.
Thao terminated the chief without cause and is not required to provide a justification for her decision, unlike the Oakland Police Commission, a citizen body that was set to meet later Wednesday to consider the chief’s future.
Thao’s decision came less than a month after the release of a bombshell independent report that outlined numerous accountability failures within the Oakland Police Department.
More: www.mercurynews.com/2023/02/15/oakland-police-chie…
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