Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao announced Wednesday that she is firing Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong.
Armstrong had been put on leave last month after a report detailed allegations of police misconduct within the department.
The allegations involved two infractions by the same police sergeant and a poor investigation by the Police Department’s internal affairs division, which investigates officer misconduct.
“It is clear to me that there are systemic issues and the city needs to address them,” Thao said at a news conference announcing the chief’s firing Wednesday.
Armstrong took over as Oakland’s police chief in February 2021 after starting with the department as an officer in 1999. The Oakland Police Department continues to be subject to federal court oversight to oversee reforms mandated in a police misconduct case settlement dating back to 2003.
I read she fired a very popular chief with the rank and file. Let’s see how much more of a $hit show Oakland can become with this progressive mayor. Not sure I’ll feel safe just driving through the city.
I have tried to follow this story. I have read a fair amount of the charges against him, can’t figure out if they are all that serious. I do know that when Pat Thurston had an afternoon talk show on KGO (which unfortunately is no more) she often had him on. The impression I got from those interviews was he came across as someone who answered questions honestly and directly, cared about his community and were very serious about reduce crime. From what I have read recently and all the other things I have heard about LaRonne Armstrong, he should have gotten a second chance.
I don’t live in Oakland, never did, my daughter and her family lived there (Oakland/Berkeley) for a little more than a year before they moved close to Pasadena, so I’m not personally invested in this issue.