Police union leader: Activists 'liars' and 'race-baiters'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Police union leader: Activists 'liars' and 'race-baiters'
By CLAIRE GALOFARO, Associated Press | June 19, 2015 | Updated: June 19, 2015 8:03pm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — For five days after an officer shot a Sudanese refugee on a Louisville street corner, small groups held vigils, stacked flowers on the sidewalk and took to social media to rant about the police.

That quiet response to the shooting ended Thursday night, when the president of the city's police union sent an open letter calling unspecified activists "sensationalists, liars and race-baiters," prompting widespread indignation and calls for his resignation.

In the two-page missive, Dave Mutchler, the president of the River City Fraternal Order of Police and a sergeant in the Louisville Metro Police Department, railed against a weak criminal justice system, promised officers would use deadly force against criminals with weapons and issued a call to supporters of law enforcement: "Soon, we may have to ask you to rise with us against the small, but very local group of people in our city who resist everything we all strive to attain," he wrote.

The city's mayor and police chief distanced themselves from his statement. Experts questioned his intentions.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Police-union-leader-Activists-liars-and-6338618.php

[daleanime]

1. The 'distance' they should keep.....

is removing him from his job.

[happyslug]

3. So when a UNION President tries to protect his UNION MEMBERS he should be FIRED???

We are discussing the head of the POLICE UNION NOT a City official. Yes, he is also a Sergeant in the Police Force, but it is clear he is talking as head of the POLICE UNION NOT AS A POLICE SERGEANT. Thus this is the same as the head of any other union trying to protect his membership. Protecting his fellow union membership is one of his jobs. In my opinion he should be PRAISED for his actions.

Now, we may DISAGREE with what he is saying, and in my opinion if he had been a city official he should have been fired, but he is NOT a City Official he is the Police Union President.

[daleanime]

4. He should be left in place....

when he's actively calling for violence against citizens?

[cosmicone]

6. So ANYTHING in support of a union is ok?

Even a promise of violence and suppression of anti-Union speech?

[sinkingfeeling]

8. So a union president is free to slander others and you call that 'protecting' his union?

[LuvLoogie]

9. As a seargent in a municipal police force

he is ALWAYS resonsible for his conduct. His position on the police force trumps his union position. It's time to flush the KKK out of their city uniform disguises and back into their hoods and cloaks.

[SwankyXomb]

11. Kop unions exists for the sole purpose

of protecting their members from the consequences of their actions.

[pasto76]

13. only in your fantasy world can that 'two separate hats' delusion work

he is the union president AND a police sergeant. not "OR"

one of the biggest scams in my city is that the city council is also the utilities board. So, magically, in the middle of the city council meeting, they don new invisible hats and start acting 'in the best interests of ratepayers' - not politically motivated, elected officials.


how is calling any protestor a 'race baiter' OK in either perview?

[frylock]

17. In what sense did this idiot support his UNION MEMBERS with this twaddle?

[NutmegYankee]

22. The man is calling for taking police action against citizens for speech.

It is a misuse of authority.

"If your behavior or untruths causes harm to us or the public, we will make every attempt to have you investigated, charged and prosecuted at the local, state or federal level," Mutchler wrote in his letter. "Your idiocy and lies are what caused the destruction in Ferguson and other cities around our country and we won't be tolerating that here."

That "we" is the police force. That is a clear Unconstitutional threat to chill free speech. Fire him right fucking now!

[bemildred]

2. My. We have got our panties in a knot now, don't we? nt

[ibewlu606]

5. WTF?

As a union member and leader, I am disgusted and ashamed that Mutchler would make such an inflammatory statement. He is not fit to represent his members.

[myrna minx]

7. That is truly disturbing.

[Sunlei]

10. fire the police sargent. "ask you to rise with us against the small, but very local group of people"

The police WORK FOR the local community.

Any "Frat president" who makes a statement like he did isn't serving the community.

[geek tragedy]

12. Cop unions are aligned against the working people

and with the privileged and wealthy.

Their primary purpose is to help their members violate people's rights with impunity.

I support every union but cop unions. They can go to hell.

[Jefferson23]

14. +1.

They are a significant problem, they conduct themselves like no other.

[riversedge]

19. Wisconsin is a fine example of your post.

[Jefferson23]

15. Despite criticism, FOP boss won't resign following controversial letter

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A local police union chief said Friday he won't resign despite calls for him to step down following a controversial letter he distributed to media.

Dave Mutchler, president of the River City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 614, released the open letter Thursday that attacked "sensationalists" who are "blind to reason" in response to a deadly police shooting in Old Louisville.

“This letter was honest and it was blunt,” Mutchler said.

On Friday, Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad responded to Mutchler's letter with a statement of his own:

"I have read the recent letter from Dave Mutchler, the President of River City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 614. I have also had the opportunity to speak with President Mutchler. He wrote this letter in his role as the FOP President. As the Chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department, I have a very different role. It is my job to work with the men and women of this department to do all we can to make Louisville a safer community. My most important job is to protect and serve the citizens of Louisville, and I do not believe this serves the interest of the community. To this end, we must always treat everyone with respect and dignity. By doing so, we earn their trust, which is essential to our success in policing this great community. We have seen far too much violence over the past few months! Now is the time for all of us to work together to truly make Louisville the kind of community we all want it to be."

Mutchler said at a hastily called news conference Friday afternoon that he won't step down, adding that the words in his letter represent the thoughts of many of his union members.

"Our goal is for the criminal element to say to themselves it would be much easier for us to go somewhere else," Mutchler said. "Nowhere in this letter did I threaten anyone or did I mean for anyone to feel threatened."

Mutchler then said he wasn't expecting the letter to cause such a big reaction. Even Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer on Thursday quickly denounced it, saying it does not reflect his sentiments or those of the vast majority of Louisville's citizens.

"My goal was not to start a conversation," Mutchler said Friday. "My goal was to let the public know how we as officers feel."

http://www.wave3.com/story/29361685/fop-leader-plans-to-answer-questions-about-controversial-letter

Arrogant bastard, like too many of them.

[frylock]

16. These idiot assholes just cannot help but be idiot assholes

[littlewolf]

18. can the membership of the union strip him of his position.

not a union member live in a RTW state …
so I do not know the rules ….

[Joe Chi Minh]

20. Wow! That would be something, if it were true. The police wouldn't

have the whole field to themselves. But to some extent, until Judgment Day, the good guys will always have to be
on the back-foot in terms of seeing the WestWorld cops and judicial authorities facing retribution. Then their condemnation will be eternal.

[Blue_Adept]

21. This guy basically should have posted the Cartman image

about respecting his authority and that's the end of the conversation on his part.

He wasn't looking to start a conversation. He was looking to establish his authority and that they should not be questioned no matter what they do.

[socialist_n_TN]

23. There are a couple of people in this thread that get it..........

Cop unions are not unions because of the nature of the job. Their function is to oppress anyone who stands against the current system and, as such (oppressors), they don't deserve to be classed as worker organizations.

And this letter show EXACTLY why this is true.