FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2019

Contact: Oakland Police Officers’ Association: (510) 834-9670 or policeofficers@opoa.org

OAKLAND – The Oakland Police Commission’s own investigative arm, the Citizen Police Review Agency (CPRA), the Oakland Police Department Internal Affairs Division, the Police Department’s Executive Force Review Board, the Chief of the Police and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office all reviewed and exonerated the use of force by Oakland Police Officers on an armed suspect on March 11, 2018. Yet, the Police Commission decided to ignore the facts and the findings of all these investigative bodies, including their own, by moving to fire these officers for protecting the residents from an armed suspect. Today, the Police Commission’s findings against the officers are being released to the public – but the City has so far refused to share those findings with the impacted officers.

After learning of the Police Commission’s inexplicable decision to fire these officers, and its decision to publicly release the purported basis for that decision without first informing the impacted officers, Oakland Police Officers’ Association President Barry Donelan said “This is outrageous. Five different reviews of this shooting, including by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the Police Commission’s own investigative arm, exonerated the officers. These Police Officers responded to a citizen’s call for help concerning an armed suspect in their neighborhood. The officers tried to defuse the situation but the armed suspect engaged our officers putting their lives and the lives of our residents in danger. The Police Commission ignored these facts and a multitude of investigations to reach a predetermined and unjust outcome. The Commission’s decision is obviously born from a desperate politically-driven need to prosecute police officers regardless of the facts. Oakland Police Officers work hard for justice and equity in our community, but clearly receive neither from the City’s own Police Commission.”

Donelan continued, “Oakland Police Officers are America’s hardest working Police Officers. Despite this injustice, Oakland Police Officers continue to come to work every day committed to protecting our residents.”

About the Oakland Police Officers’ Association: The Oakland Police Officers’ Association (OPOA) represents all sworn members at all ranks within the Oakland Police Department. Representing the hardest working Police Officers in America. The OPOA can be found on the Web at www.opoa.org.

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