Exclusive: OPD Walks Back Claim That Tear Gas Was 'Necessary to Protect Officers' at Occupy Oakland

[BradBlog]

Source: BRAD BLOG



Exclusive: Oakland Police Walk Back Claim That Tear Gas Was 'Necessary to Protect Officers' From Occupy Oakland Demonstrators
Department declines to offer evidence substantiating Chief's assertions, downgrades them to 'preliminary belief'...

The Oakland Police Department is walking back widely reported comments offered by its Interim Chief, Howard Jordan, at an Oct. 25 televised press conference (video posted below) that law enforcement "had to deploy gas in order to stop the crowd and people from pelting us with bottles and rocks."

The press conference had been conducted shortly after a melee which included the deployment of chemical agents on peaceful demonstrators. The melee resulted in a critical brain injury to a two-tour Iraq veteran, among others. The violent event raised questions about the legality of the procedures carried out by the OPD and the 15 other law enforcement agencies that cooperated in the multi-agency task force.

In response to questions emailed by The BRAD BLOG to the Oakland PD's Chief of Staff, Sgt. Chris Bolton conceded that the department was unable, at this time, to substantiate claims made by Jordan that gas was deployed in order to protect law enforcement personnel from violent demonstrators, despite the Chief's unqualified claim that evening that "the deployment of gas was necessary to protect our officers and protect property around the area and to protect injuries to others as well."

Instead, Bolton softened Jordan's initial claim. The sergeant described it as "the Chief's preliminary belief."

Jordan failed to qualify his statements as to why CS gas was deployed as a "preliminary belief" at the time he addressed reporters at his televised Oct. 25 press conference. Indeed, the Interim Chief spoke of the necessity to deploy chemical agents "to stop the crowd...from pelting us with bottles and rocks" as if it were an established fact…

FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8890

Read more: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8890

[kestrel91316]

1. I have yet to see a single shred of real evidence that OPD was

"pelted by rocks and bottles". I give ZERO weight to OPD claims that it happened without corroborating evidence.

[BradBlog]

2. Neither have we...

...And we've been looking. Closely. As reported in our initial story last week http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8878 and then again in today's story (linked above) where the OPD indicate they haven't either!

[SoapBox]

3. Just more blah, blah, blah by the Police Militia Department...

Time for the 99% to take back control of the Police, funded with OUR tax dollars, from the 1%.

[Uncle Joe]

4. "Preliminary belief" is code

for "he pulled it out of his ass."

Thanks for the thread, Bradblog.

[BradBlog]

5. And...thank YOU for the K&R Uncle Joe. Big "News" day, so this item needs much K&R'ing!

[Vincardog]

7. +1

[Javaman]

6. K & R nt

[LiberalFighter]

8. Shouldn't their be a prohibition on these assholes from serving in law enforcement?

[BradBlog]

12. You mean like jail?...

...If that's appropriate, that'll probably keep them from serving in law enforcement.

But, as you know, the rule of law generally only applies to folks like you and me.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. K & R nt

[blackspade]

10. +1000

Nice reporting.

[Downwinder]

11. K & R nt

[Odin2005]

13. Bullshit.

[BradBlog]

14. "Bullshit" what? (nt)

[Odin2005]

15. The OPD's lies.

[BradBlog]

17. Ah, good! Then on that I agree! :-)

[No Elephants]

16. It's probably a fair comment about almost anything on a U.S. political message board.

Not directed to Bradblog, though.

AFAIK, Bradblog has not steered us wrong, yet.

[BradBlog]

18. Thanks, no Elephants!