Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman suggested in Wednesday’s Denver Post that he holds extra — and unknown — factual information in the case of two officers accused of lying about beating a Denver man.
Whitman ought to play his cards and explain why his officers shouldn’t be fired for their actions. Otherwise, his comments that a review board ought “to have all the facts before you make a decision” only serve to worsen a bad situation and the raw feelings that have erupted recently and prompted the resignation of Denver’s public safety manager, Ron Perea.
Whitman made calls over the weekend to former Denver City Councilwoman Cathy Reynolds, who chairs the city’s independent Citizen Oversight Board, which criticized Perea’s light penalties for excessive use of force by officers, according to The Post’s Christopher N. Osher. His goal was to argue that the board was making “damaging” statements without knowing “all the facts.”
The chief requested a chance to address the board regarding the case of officers Devin Sparks and Randy Murr “to make sure they reviewed all the information.” The case against the two cops has been reopened, and a future safety manager will have to weigh in.
The chief told Osher that he and his top deputy largely supported Perea’s soft discipline of the officers in that case and in another involving Officer Eric Sellers.
To review, Denver’s independent monitor, Richard Rosenthal, requested that Sellers be fired for lying about his involvement in roughing up a man who had questioned the officer. Perea agreed the officer had lied — a fireable offense — but said he should only be suspended.
Shortly before Perea resigned, he rescinded his ruling on Sellers, too. Whitman says he would have preferred a lighter penalty still.
Rosenthal also wanted Sparks and Murr fired for lying in a police report about Sparks’ attacks on a man who had been merely talking on a cellphone. Perea docked the officers three days’ pay — the same penalty Whitman now says was suggested by Deputy Chief Michael Battista.
Whitman tells us he simply wants to better inform the Citizen Oversight Board. While Whitman should be allowed to address the board, we don’t understand how it is possible that he has information that Rosenthal — who reports to the board — hasn’t already reviewed.
As independent monitor, Rosenthal takes part in all stages of the investigatory process involving discipline cases.
Perea also had full access to investigators’ findings, and he had every opportunity to argue his case to Rosenthal and the board already.
If the chief felt the process was being wrongly handled or that his side wasn’t being heard, he should have come to the defense of his officers last week with credible explanations for Perea’s light punishments.
If Whitman continues to believe that Perea correctly disciplined the officers, he needs to prove it, or Denver will face even more turmoil.
