Councilmember Calls On DC Mayor To Fire Police Chief
WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. Councilmember David Grosso (At-Large) sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser asking her to fire Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham, according to a release.
"This is a pivotal moment in our city, our society, and our country as we grapple with the effects of historical and current structural anti-Black racism," Gross said, in the letter. "Along with many other elected officials and community leaders, you and I are striving to respond to our residents as they demand change. I know that we share a mutual desire to better serve our communities and to work harder in our efforts to dismantle white supremacy in our city and country."
He went on to say that Newsham did not share those same priorities, citing comments both public and private the chief has made in the last month that have been at odds with this priorities.
"We need [Metropolitan Police Department] leadership that understands the racist and deep-seated problems of law enforcement in our city," Grosso said, in the letter. "And we need someone who is willing to change that paradigm. However, since his appointment, instead of recognizing how we all can better serve our Black communities, Chief Newsham has continued a disturbing pattern of lashing out at Councilmembers and blaming everyone but himself."
Read more: https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/council-member-calls-dc-mayor-fire-police-chief
