Minutes 09/29/1970 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Se~temhe~ 29. 1970 It appears that Officer Jerry Ennis is not rational enough to remain on active duty while (or if) he is under investigation. How much respect can a community have for its Police Chief if he sh~s no concern for the feelings of the black community, and for the safety of his officers and Portsmouth citizens, and refuses to su- spend the officer concerned? How much respect can a community have for a Police Chief who does not practice rules of common courtesy? Young Bellamy's mother should have been officially contacted by the Police Department shortly after he was shot. She should not have had to get this information from a police officer when she reached the hospital. These observations do not deal with the ihootings~ themselves, on September 19, or the many versions re- ported by witnesses. This is for the law to determine, These observations do point to the fact that all Portsmouth citizens, black and white, yotmg a~d old, mai, and female, need to show some concern about their law enforcement agency. No one is aafe from pol~ee power t~at is not objectively and impartially handled, regardles of onet~ color. The Executive Committee of the ~, C. ~orcem FrA supports my position. In order to establish some evidence to the black community, and to the entire Poet.mouth cit~zenry~ that he is t~/ing to be fair, we, therefore, request that Chief ~¢arren s~aspend ~ff~cer E~ni~ from t~e force, immediately, until an impartial investigation has been conducted and completed,'~ ~0-424 - ~fhe following letter from Mr. amd ~r~. L~ M. Keller was read: "I am opposed to the sale of b:eer and ot~er alco~oli¢ beverages in our city on Sunday. I am not in favor of this matter appearing on the b~llot in Movern~er unless it Es there as the result of a petition signed by thirty percent of the registered voters of Portsmouth as provided in the City Charter. I urge you to rescin~ your action of August 2S relative te t~s matter.~ 70-425 - The following statement from the Rlack Clergymen of the Black Community was read by Rev. Robert W. Perry, CP~airman: "Re: Requirements oft~e City of Poztsmout5 Mandated by ~ooting Affray of 9-19-70, and Subsequent Related Events 1. We demand the immediate removal of t~e armed guard~ around the city's Civic Center and the removal of all v~s~le r~et gtm~ from pol~ce cars, A. We feel that tbi~mm~t be the first step toward alleviating fear mud s~spicion in our city. B. ~e further demand t~ because it only serves to escapate tko situation of violence and further polar~zation of t~ew~te and b'l. ack cemmunlt~, 2. We demand t~e immediatemaspension of the police officer that':killed young Bellamy until an impamtial investigation can be conducted. We demand that this impartial investigation be conducted by an impartial committee excluding the police department of t~e City of Port~moutb, and to include persons that participated in the mass demonstrations of g-21 - 9-22. We believe that this kind of committee is necessary because of the impromptu and impulsive statements made By Cliief W~trren; and he cannot Be o~jeetive since he has publicly stated his intent to protect the officers. B. He has further established ~n ~is own mimd the innocence of the policeman and the guilt of the corwd in the shooting incident. We reject implications and insinuations, of Chief lqarren's first public statement regarding the local h~gb schools. T~is statement suggested that the predominately Black school (I. C. Norcom) was the ~eedBed for violence. We further demand that Von Piersall, Commonwealth Attorney, disqualify himself in any type of investigation involving Black people due to ~is already established and published racist attitude." 70-426 - The following petitions signed 5y Mattie ~ Bob Lewis and others was read: "It has been proposed 5y some persons that four [4) Police Officers, Detective J. G. Ennis, Detective R. C. Salas, Detective Pete Ellis and Detective Sgt. Kenneth Allen, be suspended from duty until an ~esti- gation be completed due to their involvement in a shooting incident while acting in the line of duty in the vicinity of High Street and Williamsburg Avenue, Saturday, 19 September 1970. It is our opinion that this would be a grossly unwise, unfair and improper action. Such action would have a destructive effect upon the morale and efficiency of ALL Law enforcement offiders of our city. A police officer should be able to perform his duties of law enforcement without fear of arbitrary nunishment and de- famation of character. He is a citizenwith inalienable rights equal to any other and is ~herefore entitled -to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. To suspend these ment would clearly be an insinuation of guilt of some unspecified felony. If in the course of the present investigation, evidence is found to support a felon' charge against any one of these officers, then let them be so charged and stand trial in a court of law as any other citizen, but until such time as they may be so formally charged, we, the undersigned citizens, taxpayers, and property owners of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia do by this petition request that the abbve named office~ be kept on full duty and salary."