As an update to yesterday’s story I thought I would offer my help to other reporters who are finally asking some questions about the SPD’s Police Anti-Crime Team based upon my story about the 2 Million Dollar Claim filed by Detective Lonnie Tofsrud.
https://examplepro.me/2019/04/03/story-update-two-million-dollar-claim-made-against-spd/
This is another one of those situations where finally, after months of work and several stories some other media friends are finally starting to recognize that it is our role as Journalists to dig into any issue coming to our attention that may be evidence of government misconduct, and it doesn’t matter who originally exposes the issue.
Something other reporters should take note of in Tofsrud’s claim is his witness list because you will see some of their names come up in other stories I will be doing. At this point SPD’s efforts to sweep everything under the rug isn’t working well.
This early email exchange will give you some background regarding some of the things that have been going on.
The statements made by Meidl, and MacConnell are not in the least bit accurate as SPD is making effort not to conduct a legitimate investigation into it’s PACT…but more on that later.
The email interaction also points out just some of the flaws in the OPO Ordinance that Mayor Condon and the City Council sold out to the Police Unions back in 2014 and is by no means “a really good thing for the community” or any kind of a “victory lap”.
“This isn’t a matter of me saying, ‘This is as good as we can get,’ ” Stuckart said. “This is me saying, ‘This is good for the citizens.’
“This should’ve been a time to take a victory lap,” he said. “Together, the citizens and the council forced the mayor to get it done, and it’s going to be a really good thing for the community.”
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/feb/14/shawn-vestal-ombudsman-rule-imperfect-but-promisin/
https://examplepro.me/2016/04/27/an-indepentent-police-ombudsman-how-now/
Here is Tofsrud’s lengthy witness list and I have highlighted individuals that could be key witnesses should this case go to litigation.
The two ATF Agents Julius and McNall whose names come up in other documents and I suspect are listed to establish that ATF stopped taking SPD cases because of problems with the PACT cases referred to ATF.
Although not highlighted, Human Resources Director Christine Cavanaugh herself the subject of a number of complaints might have some really interesting testimony especially regarding the HR Investigation of Tofsrud’s complaint against Meidl and MacConnell. The City is of course slow walking my PRR regarding that investigation during which a number of City Employees were interviewed.
I tried to get a statement from Chief Meidl regarding my story about Tofsrud’s claim, but as is the case with Meidl with me at least he ran and hid. Maybe another reporter he is less afraid of can get a statement from him.
I should note that I did receive contact from a City Council Member who is very concerned about the issue, but only one CM even though they are aware. Gotta wonder where Chief Meidl’s close friend Lori Kinnear the Chair of the CC Public Safety Committee is hiding?
A LITTLE HELP FOR MY FRIENDS!!!
Buffalo Brian Breen 