St. Paul cop allegedly urged drivers to hit Black Lives Matter protesters...

stringer bell
stringer bell Members Posts: 26,212 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited January 2016 in For The Grown & Sexy
http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_29400416/st-paul-cop-allegedly-urged-drivers-hit-black
St. Paul cop allegedly urged drivers to hit Black Lives Matter

St. Paul police have placed a sergeant on leave as they investigate a report that he posted on Facebook, "Run them over," in response to an article about a Black Lives Matter protest, which blocked traffic Monday.

The comment detailed what people could do to avoid being charged with a crime if they struck someone during the unpermitted march on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Andrew Henderson, who frequently videotapes officers at work because he says he wants them to be held accountable, noticed the comment from "JM Roth" about 1 a.m. Saturday and immediately reported it to St. Paul police. He filed an internal affairs complaint Sunday, naming Sgt. Jeffrey M. Rothecker.

Rothecker could not be reached for comment Monday. The St.Paul Police Federation, the union for St. Paul officers, is representing Rothecker. Chris Wachtler, the Federation's attorney, said in a statement Monday, "There is an investigation under way. We will let the process play out. I can't comment on an active investigation until it is complete."

On Monday, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman issued a statement saying he is "outraged and disgusted by the post and have directed the SPPD to investigate."

"Chief Smith and I are committed to building strong, trusting relationships with the communities we serve," Coleman continued. "There is no room in the St. Paul Police Department for employees who threaten members of the public. If the allegation is true, we will take the strongest possible action allowed under law."

On Friday at 9:30 p.m., the Pioneer Press posted an article to the newspaper's Facebook page with the headline, "Black Lives Matter planning to rally at Lake Street bridge Monday."

One comment on the post from JM Roth, said, "Run them over. Keep traffic flowing and don't slow down for any of these idiots who try and block the street. Here is the deal, you continue to drive and if you hit someone make sure you call 911 to report the accident and meet the cops a block or two away and you can justify stopping further away because you feared for your safety since in the past people in this group has shown a propensity towards violence. Since they are trying to block the street and/or cross where there is no crossing you should not be charged with anything. Now, these idiots could try and sue in civil court, but remember that it will be jury trial and so most likely it will come out in your favor."

The comment has since been deleted, but Henderson captured it in a screenshot. Roth's Facebook page, which didn't include a mention of its owner's full name, was changed last weekend to not be visible publicly.

Henderson, who is an administrator on the Minnesota Cop Block Facebook page, said he's been familiar with Roth because that person frequently comments on Cop Block posts.

Henderson said he found evidence that JM Roth is Rothecker, which he provided to internal affairs, including: A woman, whose last name is Rothecker, had indicated on Facebook that she's married to "JM Roth." State records show a woman with that name is married to a Jeffrey M. Rothecker.


The head of the internal affairs unit, Senior Cmdr. Shari Gray, contacted Henderson after his initial report Saturday and they met Sunday. Henderson filmed the meeting with Gray and Sgt. John Wuorinen, an internal affairs investigator, and posted the video online Monday.

Henderson told them when he saw JM Roth's comment he thought, "You know, a police officer shouldn't be advising people to run over other people for just standing in the road. That's not reasonable to me. I don't know if that's reasonable to you.' "

Wuorinen responded, "It wouldn't be reasonable to, I would think any person, any decent person."

Police Chief Thomas Smith was informed about the allegation Saturday, Gray said.

"This was of grave concern because of the upcoming event and we want to make sure everybody's safe," Gray said. "If we needed to change tactics or operational security on the event, we needed to do it. And then, two, make sure that if indeed this was one of our officers, that it's addressed quickly."

The police department said in a statement Monday that it has an active investigation under way and, if it's determined a member of the police department wrote the comment, "swift, strong and decisive disciplinary action will be taken."

"The statement (posted) is offensive, disappointing, concerning and does not reflect in any way -- or align with -- the views, values and practices of the St. Paul Police Department," the department said.

Trahern Crews, a Black Lives Matter St. Paul leader, said that before Monday's march, they were telling participants to be aware of their surroundings.

Crews said he found it disturbing and frightening that an officer would allegedly be "teaching people how to break the law or basically harm protesters. ... We're hoping nobody's going to do anything like that, but it's happened before."

In November 2014, a St. Paul man's car struck a 16-year-old protesting outside a police station on Minneapolis' Lake Street over a Missouri grand jury decision not to charge a Ferguson, Mo., police officer in Michael Brown's shooting. The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to failure to yield to a pedestrian; the teen suffered a minor leg injury.

Rothecker has been a St. Paul officer for 22 years and is the department's only elder-abuse investigator, according to information about him on the website for the Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police, of which he is second vice president and was previously president. He's also a U.S. Army combat veteran, where he served from 1988 to 1996, the site said.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2x19Mnz68

Comments

  • warren98
    warren98 Members Posts: 472 ✭✭✭✭
    ........you can justify stopping further away because you feared for your safety since in the past people in this group has shown a propensity towards violence.

    Lol the irony of this pig.

  • Trillfate
    Trillfate Members Posts: 24,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The post by the cop is ? Disgusting. He's basically encouraging criminal behavior and insuring corruption will save the day.

    ? the pig
  • skpjr78
    skpjr78 Members Posts: 7,311 ✭✭✭✭✭
    https://youtu.be/qu6r7Yd_iG8
    
    https://youtu.be/FZDDSK_yBMU
    
  • Mister B.
    Mister B. Members, Writer Posts: 16,172 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You think IAB gives a ? about this? Him tellin the superiors "ooh, this guy's saying run them over on the Internet" won't do a damn thing.

    He should've took this to a news outlet first.
  • stringer bell
    stringer bell Members Posts: 26,212 ✭✭✭✭✭
    http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_29409493/st-paul-cop-apologizes-black-lives-matter-post
    St. Paul cop admits to 'run them over' Black Lives Matter post

    A St. Paul police sergeant issued a public apology Wednesday for a Facebook comment to "run them over" about an upcoming Black Lives Matter march, but the mayor and others said they continue to be outraged.

    Sgt. Jeffrey Rothecker, who is on paid leave from the department and is the subject of an internal affairs investigation, said he is "extremely sorry" and understood "the post was insensitive and wrong."

    "My poor choice of words conveyed a message I did not intend and am not proud of," Rothecker said in a statement. "Shortly after submitting the post, I reread it and deleted it. As a law enforcement officer, I would never intentionally encourage someone to commit a crime. I very much regret my actions."

    Andrew Henderson, who reported Rothecker to the police department's internal affairs, said Wednesday that he was shocked to hear Rothecker had apologized and "very glad he took ownership of his actions."

    "But I'm still concerned he made the statement in the first place," said Henderson, who frequently videotapes officers at work because he says he wants them held accountable. "That's something an officer with that much experience should have known not to make. ... If he's having those kinds of thoughts, it could impact his policing abilities and fairness of investigations."

    Mayor Chris Coleman said in a statement Wednesday: "I continue to be outraged by the online comments. While an apology is certainly in order, it is not sufficient to repair the trust that has been broken. Beyond that, Minnesota law prevents me from talking about disciplinary action until any employee appeals period is over."

    The case, which has received national attention, began after the Pioneer Press posted an article to the newspaper's Facebook page with the headline "Black Lives Matter planning to rally at Lake Street bridge Monday" at 9:30 p.m. Friday. At about 1 a.m. Saturday, Henderson said he noticed a comment on the post from "JM Roth" that referred to protesters as "idiots" and detailed what drivers could do to avoid being charged with a crime if their vehicles struck someone during the unpermitted march. It appeared to have been posted about midnight.

    Henderson notified the police department early Saturday when he saw the post. It's not clear when the Facebook comment was deleted, but Henderson said it was gone the next time he looked, which was about 11 a.m. Saturday. He filed an internal affairs complaint Sunday. He named Rothecker, saying he had previously found evidence that he was "JM Roth."

    The police department said Wednesday that the internal affairs investigation remains active and that it had no additional comment. In a statement Monday, the department said, "If it is determined that the comment was written by a member of the St. Paul Police Department, swift, strong and decisive disciplinary action will be taken."

    Rothecker has not previously commented about the case. In the statement Wednesday, sent by the St. Paul police union, Rothecker said:

    "I apologize to all the citizens of St. Paul, the department, my fellow law enforcement professionals and my family for the scornful attention my mistake has brought upon them.

    "I apologize for exposing all law enforcement officers to increased scrutiny, during this difficult time of ongoing conflict between officers and members of the community.

    "I apologize to the community members who participated peacefully in the protest."

    Monday's protest went on as planned and blocked traffic for about 30 minutes on the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge. The people who gathered were demanding justice for two men killed by police last year -- one in St. Paul and the other in Minneapolis.

    The Wednesday statement from the St. Paul Police Federation said Rothecker is an honorably discharged Army veteran and has served the city as a police officer for more than two decades, adding, "He has many supporters in the community and among his fellow officers."

    "While the Federation does not agree with the content of this Facebook post and in no way endorses the behavior that the post seems to suggest, the Federation in fact represents Sgt. Rothecker and will ensure that he receives due process," the statement also said.

    Black Lives Matter St. Paul said in a statement Tuesday that the post was "deplorable, dangerous and absolutely unacceptable" and that type of mind-set is what "leads to the unarmed killings of black women, men and children with impunity."

    The group called for the police department to fire Rothecker and to issue a public apology.

  • stringer bell
    stringer bell Members Posts: 26,212 ✭✭✭✭✭
    http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_29409493/st-paul-cop-apologizes-black-lives-matter-post

    The Wednesday statement from the St. Paul Police Federation said Rothecker is an honorably discharged Army veteran and has served the city as a police officer for more than two decades, adding, "He has many supporters in the community and among his fellow officers."

    "While the Federation does not agree with the content of this Facebook post and in no way endorses the behavior that the post seems to suggest, the Federation in fact represents Sgt. Rothecker and will ensure that he receives due process," the statement also said.



    http://www.startribune.com/use-of-force-key-issue-in-st-paul-police-chief-search/365825121/
    The Facebook post and its author remains under investigation, but in response to a data request, police released Rothecker's personnel file Tuesday, showing that he has had 15 complaints filed against him with the department's internal affairs unit. Seven of the complaints were sustained.

    Records show that Rothecker has been disciplined or received oral reprimands for: A preventable squad accident in 2014 in which he failed to yield, twice improperly accessing non-public government data through Drivers and Vehicle Services, failing to check on an inmate at the county law enforcement center who was injured during an encounter with an off-duty officer in 2008, hitting a post with his squad in 2007, investigating but failing to collect a severed dog head left on a doorstep in a gift-wrapped box in 2007 and getting into a preventable squad accident in 1998 during which he did not turn on his siren.

    "Your actions reflect poorly upon you and have brought additional scrutiny to police officers of this department," said a 2010 letter regarding Rothecker's response to the injured inmate. "As a sergeant, your actions in this instance showed a lack of respect and poor judgment. Your failure to lead has brought embarrassment to the department, was an extremely poor example for those you were trusted to supervise, and has impacted careers of officers you were responsible to protect."

    This guy is a true "good" cop...
  • stringer bell
    stringer bell Members Posts: 26,212 ✭✭✭✭✭
    http://www.startribune.com/st-paul-police-officer-who-urged-drivers-to-run-over-protesters-resigns/369182111/
    St. Paul police officer who urged drivers to run over protesters resigns

    The St. Paul police officer whose online postings encouraged drivers to run over protesters on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has resigned.

    Sgt. Jeff Rothecker, a 22-year St. Paul police veteran, was placed on paid administrative leave in mid-January after an open-government activist alerted the department to a comment Rothecker posted on Facebook. St. Paul police announced his resignation Wednesday afternoon.

    The lead organizer for Black Lives Matter St. Paul, Rashad Turner, said his group would comment on the resignation Thursday. However, he said the group will proceed with its planned Feb. 27 protest at the Red Bull Crashed Ice event, which draws thousands of people to downtown St. Paul. The protest was initially designed to pressure the city to fire Rothecker.

    Jeff Martin, president of the NAACP St. Paul chapter, said Rothecker should have been “pushed out sooner.”


    “We really didn’t know who he was until he opened his mouth, or put his fingers to the keyboard,” Martin said. “This just shows that we have to stay at the table and keep having those tough conversations.”

    Rothecker — using the moniker “JM Roth” — urged people to run over marchers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day who were protesting the deaths of Jamar Clark and Marcus Golden, who were fatally shot by Minneapolis and St. Paul police, respectively.

    “Run them over,” the Facebook comment said. “Keep traffic flowing and don’t slow down for any of these idiots who try and block the street.”

    He also said that drivers would likely not be charged for hitting someone if they pulled over and called police afterward.

    Rothecker issued a written apology admitting that he posted the comments, but community leaders were not placated. Local black leaders called for him to be fired, and his comments were condemned by the police department and Mayor Chris Coleman.

    For some, Rothecker’s resignation leaves plenty of questions. Had he not resigned, he would have been subject to the complete internal affairs investigation into his actions, culminating in a final decision by police Chief Thomas Smith. That could have resulted in discipline or his firing.

    “We were hoping that the department and the city would not accept his resignation unless there were some conditions,” said Nathaniel Khaliq, former president of the St. Paul NAACP and former interim St. Paul City Council member. Resignation “sort of gives him the easy way out.”

    It’s unknown if there were conditions placed on Rothecker’s resignation.

    Khaliq was among the black community leaders who held a news conference last month calling for the city to fire Rothecker.

    “When you allow somebody to resign … it’s sort of a no-contest decision, as far as I’m concerned,” Khaliq said, “and it needed to be a clear and convincing decision made that they found and they determined that what he did was unacceptable and was in violation of department police policy.”

    St. Paul police announced Rothecker’s resignation Wednesday via Twitter, and noted that there was “nothing further at this time.”


    Coleman issued a statement that said: “I am pleased that Chief Smith has accepted the resignation of Mr. Rothecker and that he is no longer a member of the St. Paul Police Department. I believe it was the quickest and most certain way to reach a final outcome.”

    Coleman said that state law prohibits the city from commenting further about the investigation and Rothecker’s reason for resigning.

    “The actions Mr. Rothecker admits he engaged in were disgusting, harmful and out of step with the values of the department and the community it serves,” he said.

    St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said that the internal affairs investigation into the incident was recently completed, but Rothecker’s resignation put a stop to any further action on the matter.

    Since a final disposition had not and cannot be reached in the case, there is no additional public information on the investigation.

    Chris Wachtler, an attorney for the St. Paul Police Federation, said he could not speak in detail about Rothecker’s decision.

    “He again apologizes for the damage his comments have caused,” Wachtler said.

    A message left at a number listed to Rothecker was not immediately returned.

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  • thegreatunknown
    thegreatunknown Members Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The floodgates have opened...These people have been trying to tell you how they really feel about us for years, some have listened and others stay in deep slumber. Now instead of whispering, its being screamed in their ears. Some will try to cover their ears, some will try to bury heir heads in the sand..but others will finally WAKE UP

    Am I telling you to hate another race..No. What I'm saying is stop trying to be accepted by the "mainstream", Why? Because they do not respect your humanity and the police department as by product of that lack of respect.

    Learn your rights, work to protect your rights, develop love for your own people before loving others..
  • Will Munny
    Will Munny Members Posts: 30,199 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The crashed ice crowd is gonna be ? and is slightly white trashy. That event has potential to get ugly.