Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, who was placed on leave by Mayor Sheng Thao last week, said Monday he deserves to be reinstated immediately and blamed a federal monitor overseeing police for his current predicament.
Armstrong released a statement saying he was placed on leave because of "self-interest" by the federal monitor Robert Warshaw.
The Oakland Police Department has been under federal oversight for about 20 years.
"I want the public to know I followed all policies, protocols and procedures in the two incidents that are detailed in the recently-released summary report," Armstrong said.
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That report alleged, among other things, two infractions by a sergeant. The sergeant's first infraction, according to the report, was allegedly leaving the scene of a March 2021 collision that he was involved in and failing to report the collision. The sergeant was driving a police vehicle when the collision occurred.
The second infraction was the alleged accidental firing of a gun in April 2022 in the freight elevator of police headquarters and waiting a week to report that. The sergeant also allegedly removed evidence of the discharge.
"But neither the department -- nor myself as Chief -- ever had the opportunity to take full and appropriate disciplinary action against the officer because the Federal monitor Robert Warshaw took the investigation out of my hands so that he could handle it himself," Armstrong added.
The federal monitor could not be reached for comment on Monday morning.
Warshaw "did not act appropriately or honestly," Armstrong said. "Mr. Warshaw acted in the interest of his own pocketbook by manufacturing a false crisis to justify extending his lucrative monitoring contract."
Warshaw could not be immediately reached for comment, and Thao's office did not respond by late Monday morning to a request for comment.
