Wednesday, August 15, 2007

THE DECISION TO BE SHOT IS MADE BY THE OFFENDER

(A letter posted on FOP Lodge 7 Website)

Is anyone in the media going to ask why Aaron Harrison was in possession of a gun? Was he intending to shoot someone? Who gave him the gun? Why did he point the weapon at the officer? Why, if he lives in Berwyn with his mother, was he at Roosevelt and Sacramento with a gun? Another question is why didn’t Harrison toss the gun while he was running? Was the gun used in a prior homicide? These are all questions that will be answered as the forensic test results start to come in.

The family and their attorney James Montgomery have filed a lawsuit against the City and are quite dramatic about the bullet first striking Harrison’s shoulder. This is consistent with the direction that Harrison was running while pointing the gun at the officer.
Montgomery was on the news railing on about how witnesses were told by policemen that if they cooperate with the investigation they too would be shot. I was there that night and I can tell you for fact that the Detectives located witnesses and the witnesses refused to go into Area Four and cooperate with the investigation. For this you can thank your legislators because they legislated how Police investigations are to be conducted.

Nearly every person out there that night had a camera phone and there were several video recorders, so I am sure that if one officer threatened a witness it would have been recorded and played by the media. I saw at least twenty people videotaping or recording as the investigation was being conducted. You have to believe that if what Montgomery says is true someone would have turned over a tape to the media. This can only mean that the officers that night conducted themselves in a professional manner under very hostile conditions.

James Montgomery stated he has numerous witnesses who saw that Harrison was unarmed. Then how did the gun get there? Did the police plant the gun? What officer planted the gun? Is there a C.R. number against an officer for planting the gun? What will Montgomery say when the DNA results come back and prove that the only person who had the gun was Harrison? Will he then come up with a witness who saw how the police planted the DNA on the gun?

Rev. Jakes is threatening to write a letter to the Olympic Committee if the officers are not removed from street duty. This is completely irresponsible but we would expect nothing less from him. According to Jakes due process is something that everyone except police officers are entitled to.

Our officers should never be expected to risk death or serious injury when confronted by an armed offender. The choice is simple and it is made for the officer by the offender, drop the weapon and surrender or aim the weapon and be shot. This is how we are trained. We don’t want to lose one officer because of second-guessing. Second-guessing is something reserved for the Jakeses, Montgomerys and Sharptons of the world.

Lastly, the activists are saying that the Chicago Police Department is out of control and I can tell you that that is not true. What is true is that there are areas of the City that are out of control -- areas of the City that allow people to run around carrying guns and tolerate violent behavior. It is time for the good people living in these areas to step up to the plate and take back their neighborhoods.

Greg Bella
3rd Vice-President
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey! Another 10th Dist female p/o down at callback, got caught pissing hot!! Anyone want to prosecute her & mickow???

Why don't they do a department wide urine analysis?

Answer; Because they know that anywhere from 5-14% of the CPD would fail depending upon the day,time,month,etc.

Anonymous said...

Greg Bella is a piece of shit who is lazy and dispenses bad advice to patrolmen all the time.

Anonymous said...

Rev. Jakes is threatening to write a letter to the Olympic Committee if the officers are not removed from street duty. This is completely irresponsible but we would expect nothing less from him. According to Jakes due process is something that everyone except police officers are entitled to.



All in all Greg, a great response but I have NO problem with Jakes, Jessie, Al, or any other one of this race baiting POS's writting aletter to the Olympic Committee. In fact, I encourage it!!

I do not want the games here, with all the BS, the behind the scenes contracts, and the same people getting paid. No way! Take the games to Brazil - screw the mayor and his plan! Who benefits ffrom that?

The haves (mayor's friends) and the "have nots" (Black, "minority" contractors - ie) Rev's) it sure the hell will not be me, the real minority - white, middle class in this city.

Anonymous said...

AMEN!!! ALL THE GOOD CITIZENS SHOULD BE ARMED--THEN THESE THUGS WILL THINK TWICE ABOUT STICKING UP "GRANNY" BECAUSE "GRANNY" MAY BE PACKING!!

Anonymous said...

21 People being given the "think on your feet" portion of the Lt. Exam for a THIRD time! Say it ain't so Joe. Don't believe me? Call personnel or the union. Remember, its all legit.

Anonymous said...

Greg was and is still the Police. Good article Greg.

Anonymous said...

DON IMUS IS BACK

Anonymous said...

THE ASSHOLE ALDERMAN CAN TAX OUR WATER BUT CAN'T KEEP IT CLEAN AND SAFE FROM BP....50 MILLION AMERICANS GET THEIR WATER FROM THE GREAT LAKES.

BOYCOTT BP GAS NOW!!!!

Anonymous said...

Correct me if I am wrong, but isnt the whole idea shooting a violent, fleeing offender (even if you have to get him in the back) to protect the very citizens who protest it when we do? Whenever this stuff comes up I cant help thinking about Nicholsons speach in a few good men:

Son, we live in a world that has walls (ghettos), and those walls (ghettos) have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, (insert any revs name)? I have more responsibility here than you could possibly fathom. You weep for (insert dead gangbanger), and you curse the (Chicago Police). You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That (dead gangbangers) death, while tragic (well, not that tragic), probably saved lives. And that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. I know deep down in places you dont talk about at parties, you don't want me on that wall (patroling the streets), you need me on that wall (patroling the streets). We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand to post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!

Anonymous said...

BIG BROTHER COMING TO WATCH ALL OF US SHORTLY

US to use spy satellites for domestic surveillance

The United States is expanding the use of spy satellites for domestic surveillance, turning its "eyes in sky" inward to counter terrorism and eventually for law enforcement, US officials said Wednesday.

Authorized by US intelligence chief Michael McConnell in May and managed by the Department of Homeland Security, the change will allow more federal and local agencies to tap into satellite imagery and related intelligence products, they said.

It also will expand the kind of intelligence that can be made available to include measurement and signature intelligence, which is used to identify and track targets by their particular physical characteristics, they said.

Charles Allen, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for intelligence analysis, said the main priority is to make more robust use of intelligence capabilities for civil defense purposes.

"The least of my concern is law enforcement," he said in a telephone interview.

"We're looking at that and we'll do it in an appropriate way," he said. But he said the government will move slowly on what probably will be limited applications for law enforcement.

He said spy satellites already have been used on an ad hoc basis to guard against terrorist attacks at political conventions and major sporting events.

The Department of Homeland Security envisions using spy satellites to keep closer watch over borders, ports, bridges and other key infrastructure.

They would use them in responding to disasters like the September 11, 2001 attacks or Hurricane Katrina.

NASA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration and US Geological Survey already have had access to imagery from US reconnaissance satellites.

But the expanded uses raise questions about the implications for US civil liberties, whether the government's intelligence apparatus should be available to use to spy on people inside the United States.

Another issue is whether and how law enforcement agencies will ultimately be able to use powerful tools designed to spy on foreign adversaries.

A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the changes have been vetted throughout the US government and appropriate congressional committees have been briefed and approved a budget re-allocation for the new program.

"There is no new legal ground being broken here," said the official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the plans Wednesday.

As a result of the changes, the Department of Homeland Security plans up to create a National Applications Office around October 1 to handle requests for access to intelligence capabilities from civilian agencies.

The offices will have separate working groups for civil, homeland security and law enforcement applications.

"The NAO will rely on existing, longstanding practice and procedures established by the Intelligence Community to ensure the appropriate protection of privacy and civil rights," a press release issued by the Department of Homeland Security said.

It said oversight would be provided by the department's inspector general and by civil rights officers at the department and at the office of the director of national intelligence.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Sorry to interrupt. The Lt. test(given 8 months ago) is being given a third time to some lucky contestants! Remember kiddies this job is 100% legit. Apparently they want to make sure only the dumbest of the dumb lead this department (as long as they are connected). 30% dummies just isn't enough anymore.

8/15/2007 11:59:00 AM

Any truth to this????

Anonymous said...

Nice comments!!!! Too bad they were done by Greg Bella. A man who has proven time and again that he is a coward and will never help a PO in need. Which is supose to be his job. G-d help you if you ever have to go to him with a bad beef.

Anonymous said...

No matter what you think of Greg Bella, this need to be said by the FOP.

Please keep in mind that this is an open blog
that can and is read by people other than Chicago Police Officers.