Decision to use on-duty officers for funeral procession of David Brown Jr. spurs outrage
This incident happened yesterday afternoon, Friday, June 25, 2010. Citizens of this area are, to say the least, outraged! Police officers are outraged! In fact, outrage may not be a strong enough term. Read the story from The Dallas Morning News, and then give a listen to the MP3 recording of Chris Krok of radio station KLIF 570 AM here in the Dallas area as he goes BALLISTIC on the Dallas PD and City Manager Mary Suhm. Chris is very right in doing so I believe!
A cop-killer who is the son of the Dallas police chief continued to stir deep emotions Friday as he headed to his grave.
An apparent last-minute decision by a deputy police chief to provide assistance during part of David Brown Jr.’s funeral procession angered some police associations. The city manager quickly issued a written statement distancing herself and Chief David Brown from the decision.
“This was not a planned event nor a full honor escort,” according to the statement issued late Friday afternoon evening by Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm. “The action will be fully investigated and may lead to disciplinary action.”
Officers said the assistance included 10 to 12 motorcycles and at least one squad car.
David Brown Jr., who killed Lancaster police Officer Craig Shaw and an innocent bystander June 20 before being shot by other officers, was buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Dallas.
Deputy Chief Julian Bernal, who oversees the traffic unit, said that as the funeral procession was headed to the cemetery, the private motorcycle escort was having trouble keeping up.
He said other motorists were zipping past the slow-moving line of cars and weaving in and out of the procession to try to exit Central Expressway. He also said an accident at Walnut Hill Lane added to the problems.
Bernal, who was in the funeral procession, said he then ordered on-duty assistance to help control traffic.
“It was dangerous, and it was a matter of public safety,” Bernal said.
He said officers, mostly on motorcycles, met up with the procession on Central Expressway at Mockingbird Lane and traveled with the procession the rest of the way to the cemetery.
The officers shut down exits as the processions moved along C.F. Hawn Freeway.
He said he did not tell the officers they were responding to help with the funeral procession for Brown.
Bernal’s decision set off a firestorm within the Dallas Police Department, with police associations representing rank-and-file officers condemning the decision.
“It was bad judgment,” said Glenn White, president of the Dallas Police Association. “It’s repulsive. It embarrasses the entire Dallas Police Department.”
White said escorts are rarely, if ever, provided for private funerals. He called upon Bernal to resign.
Bernal met with police associations and the widow of a slain Dallas police officer Friday evening to explain his actions, but officers remained angry.
Earlier, Mike Walton, president of the Dallas Fraternal Order of Police, said, “I apologize to the Shaw family for dishonoring their husband’s memory and taking the full attention away from them by us escorting that procession.
“Chief Bernal made a serious judgment error by allowing that to happen because we as police officers understand the significance of a fallen officer.”
Suhm’s statement Friday evening said the decision to ask for assistance for the procession was made without her knowledge or approval “and contrary to [her] specific instructions.”
“This action was also conducted without Chief David Brown’s knowledge,” Suhm stated.
Bernal said he knew his decision would be controversial.
“I want to take full responsibility. I made the decision to do it, and this was absolutely not planned,” Bernal said. “I did it out of respect for my chief and for a family who had lost somebody.”
As he left the police association’s headquarters Friday evening, Bernal said he had no regrets about the decision he made. Regarding Suhm’s statement, he said, “I welcome an investigation.”
Asked whether he would resign, “Absolutely not. I have no reason to.”
(Note: This is an updated version of this blog item. The original version was posted at 6:09 p.m.)
SOURCE:
Decision to use on-duty officers for funeral procession of David Brown Jr. spurs outrage
Chris Krok goes OFF here:
http://klif.com/Portals/3/UserFiles/User68556/kroksuhm.mp3
Folks, this is a travesty! The very fact that Dallas PD was involved, in ANY way, with the escort of this COP KILLER and his procession is totally unacceptable!
Having been an officer here in Texas for 14yrs, I am sick to my stomach. Bernal needs to resign, immediately. He has disgraced the Dallas PD, he may as well have spit on the grave of the Lancaster officer, and chalked up one more embarrassment for the city of Dallas. I really can’t say all that I want to say in the manner I want to say it, but I think you get the point. Bernal? KMA!!! Your own officers may not be able to say it publically, but I sure can. You have disrespected the entire police profession. Keep kissing up, that’s all you were doing.
So, let me get this straight. This guy took officers away from the slain officer’s procession to escort the scum’s procession? Actually removed them? And he won’t resign? I’m speechless! Disgusted and speechless!
Chief Bernal is a suck-up POS…
Chief Bernal welcomes probe of Brown Jr. funeral escort
This was wrong. Bernal should resign or be fired. Judgment? Bernal is no rookie.
@Kate… Once upon a time the Dallas PD was held up as the shining example of what a PD should look like… They set the standard…
That was a long time ago, before the libs took Dallas over, before we had a string of far less than effective *minority* Chiefs, weak-assed libbers and PC asshats as Chiefs and so forth…
The hierarchy of the Dallas Texas PD needs to be completely revamped…
Dallas County isn’t too much better, the Sheriff of Dallas County is a flaming lesbian, a Hispanic and not terribly bright in MY opinion, but she is the choice of the people in Dallas proper, NOT the county… Valdez took 2 years to successfully pass her Texas Peace Officer Certification examination after being elected.. She’s a dumb-ass…
And the city of Dallas hasn’t done much better in their choice of leaders…
Yep…Deputy Chief Bernal should remove himself from the Dallas PD…or be removed for such a stupid move on his part. If the private escort officers had problems with traffic…they should have hired more..or those guys need to get into another business for not being able to handle it. At the very least Dep. Cheif Bernal should have to pay for this extra escort out of his own pocket. The City of Dallas has had to cut people from all depts. because of lack of funds…so calling for this escort just cost the city funds they can’t afford to be throwing away…especially on a cop killer. They should have cremated Brown Jr….so he can get the feel of what burning in HELL is going to be like….then spred his ashes in the local land fill with the rest of the garbage.
I’m sure before this is all over with….at least one high ranking officer in Dallas is going to be out of a job. I wouldn’t put it past Cheif Brown resigning just so the attention will go away.
@extex_cop — Brown AND Bernal need to go…
This wasn’t about Chief Brown, although a lot of folks tried to make it about him, but his SON pulled the trigger, he wasn’t responsible for that, but the aftermath of this tragedy has appalled far too many…
And honestly, there needs to be a few eyes looking over the Lancaster PD procedures manual and making some honest evaluations of said procedures…
Somehow, I can’t help but think that this whole incident could have been avoided…
Question: Was DC Bernal ordered by phone or off police airwaves to provide said escort by Chief Brown? And can you in fact confirm that official paid duty motor escorts were PULLED from the officer’s cortege to provide escort for the killer’s procession?
If this is the fact pattern then, at minimum there needs to be a vote of “no confidence” by officers of DPD and, at maximum, an investigtion to determine the chronology of circumstances and responsibility, with consequences up to and including resignation or punitive action. Additionally, the pro-rated costs of providing private escort by official DPD units should be assessed and removed from the checks of Brown and Bernal if found guilty.
BZ
@ BZ, what you see is what I have…
I personally can’t prove JACK, but I have news sources and local officers that are keeping me in the loop, and as details emerge I will make full and regular updates…
I have posted my thoughts on the Dallas Morning News article several times.
Time will not hide this insult to any law officer.
Retired officers from all agencies and forces, including me, are smoldering over this blatant insult.
BZ, who is still in the command structure, said it all with complete clarity and controlled emotion.
This may sound cold, but if anyone in my family ever killed another human being for any reason other than to defend themselves, their family or loved ones, or their country… let alone murdering a police officer… I could not attend anything like a funeral for them. I would just let them dig the hole and throw them in without fan fare. They would be lucky to get a head stone! I cannot understand this crap, and understand the outrage.
I fear the PC libbers have poisoned many a fine law enforcement organization all across this country Fred. Someone needs to restore that old forgotten trait called “honor” in our country!
This is a disgrace AND an insult to every decent American. I could understand pulling cops off of one funeral to aid another funeral, but not the one of a cop killer. The creatures who attended that funeral should have been arrested for giving comfort and aid to a murderer.
For clarification Kate and BZ et al,
The slain officer’s funeral was not until today-so they DPDers were NOT pulled from his procession…
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THAT TO MEAN YOU THINK I THINK ANYTHING DC BERNAL DID WAS “OK”-NOT!!!
In fact, I’m the one who called TF (immediately) when I learned of the story!!!!
IT MAKES ME SICK THAT A COP-KILLING POS WAS GIVEN A BUILDING IN WHICH TO HOLD THE SERVICE-MUCH LESS THE “HONOR” OF FUNERAL PROCESSION-NO ONE IN THE METROPLEX SHOULD HAVE HAD ANY INTERRUPTION TO THEIR DAY FOR BROWN JR!!!
Honor, Duty, Serve and Protect…
HAM, I am afraid that to some, those words just don’t exist any longer…
Those that DO know these words, those that live BY these words, they are the men and women that are outraged at this travesty, they are the men and women that still stand their watch and do what’s RIGHT, not what’s popular or politically correct…
And to clarify, NativeSon called me yesterday afternoon and handed me this story as it was unfolding on KLIF radio..
I made several phone calls, I talked to Chris Krok’s producer at KLIF, I talked to the station manager and secretary, I came up with the MP3 file through them…
NativeSon and I were back and forth on the phone a number of times as I was running down sources for this, and then a couple of times this AM, after I had the sources and MP3 stuff put together…
NativeSon is my neighbor and is rapidly become a lot more than a casual friend… He is someone that I respect and admire for his service and for the person he is… If he wishes to tell you more than that, it’s up to him, but suffice to say, I will take his given word on ANY matter, and as soon as he called me, I was *on the hunt*, I knew this was real and going to make a great blog post… All we had to do was get the details in order…
Amazing! What the hell is this guy thinking? Must be some sort of P/C crap that seems to invaded this entire nation.
Then — the only consolation being that DPD didn’t pull escorts from the slain officer’s cortege.
That said, this still sticks in the craws of many Americans and is a serious misstep by DPD administrative staff — who should know better, and should know how it LOOKS and how it will be INTERPRETED.
DPD: you’d best listen to your officers and the surrounding community of law-abiding citizens.
BZ
Asst Chief Bernal of DPD has stated “on Camera” that he did it”" for the”respect” of Chief Brown”" who was in the funeral procession, and they were slowing down due to the traffic on Central Expressway. The funeral procession, with a privately hired motorcycle escort paid for by Chief Brown, to honor his son, got slowed up in traffic trying to get off the Central Expressway.
That is as close to a “kiss ass”statement as I have ever heard.
Not for the deceased in a casket, but for his Chief of police who was in this procession to go bury his son, David Brown junior, 27 year old convicted drug thug, and ass wipe, woman beater, child beater, who simply EXECUTED an innocent drive in bystander, then after that, calmly waited and got his AK-47 out of his trunk and sat in his car again calmly awaiting the first responder policeman, who he also shot and killed in a very brief exchange of gunfire.This Lancaster Policeman Shaw also did not have a chance!!! Simply bagged, execution style.
These are the facts folks
Asst Chief Bernal, DPD did do this dastardly act because he is a kiss ass, suck up assistant chief, and did this for his Chief’s comfort, even though the City Manager said no escort of DPD, no way!!
So, there you have it.
Many are trying to make this into a “racial” thing, but simply put, IT IS NOT.
IT is just a case of an insubordinate act by an asst chief of police.
Wait until the “facts” come out on what the suck-up Lancaster Chief of Police did! But that is for another time.
This IS an outrage. However (being that I don’t live there) - is the Chief of Police a total asshole - or is he ok?
As a Mom - I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE the embarrassment, horror, outrage, etc. if my “piece of shit” kid killed a cop AND I’M the CHIEF OF POLICE!
Attending his child’s funeral in disbelief that his own kid committed these horrid crimes - I’d imagine this guy’s head was in a MAJOR FOG that day…
What a mess! I think I’m strong, but DAMN - it’d be hard NOT to attend your own kids funeral - even if he was a piece of shit. Would be the last time you’d have to smell it! Good Riddance.
I’m not sure the Chief was in the right mindset to know the difference…but the other GUY - should have NOT done that!