From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
As a mother, City Councilwoman Karen Jackson’s instinct when her son was allegedly beaten and shocked with a Taser after fleeing the cops was to defend the 15-year-old. Now Jackson says that City Hall is trying to shut her up.
“Any other councilman would have been flipping out,” Jackson said Monday about her son, Gabriyel Fraser. “I didn’t create this mess. I’m not going to let you (the city) walk all over my son.”
Hearst Connecticut Media reported last week that Jackson had lodged a citizen’s complaint with the police department’s internal affairs office about Fraser. At that time she also told the newspaper that the handful of officers involved in the June 27 incident “abused their authority.”
On Friday Mark Anastasi, a veteran attorney for the city, warned Jackson that she also has a responsibility as a member of the city’s legislative body to let the investigation of what happened to Fraser take its course without publicly rushing to conclusions.
Full story here.
This is simply outrageous. How dare Mayor Ganim and Mark Anastasi attempt to silence a mother protecting and standing up for her child.
This is purely political and is meant to protect Mayor Ganim while on the campaign trail.
Mommy doesn’t seem too concerned with protecting her son. For one, he is a minor. State law prohibits law enforcement from releasing the ID of minors to the public. It’s one thing to stand up for your kids when they are on the right 100%–this is not such a case.
This stupid, poorly though-out, comment by Langston puts legitimacy to the City Attorney’s concern. “One of those, Councilman Kyle Langan, another freshman and a vocal Ganim critic, in an email to Jackson wrote: “I’m deeply troubled to read of the violation experienced by your son and family, though I unfortunately am not surprised. We see examples of our neighbors experiencing things like this regularly and maintain the same (police department) leadership … I’m here to support whatever efforts you want to make to bring attention to the cultural shift necessary in our police.”
By the same token, I think it’s time that the city attorney sends a similarly letter to Police Chief AJ Perez. He stated that he had concerns (without clearly elaborating)about the kids being tasered. How is the public supposed to take that premature statement? It’s not the first time the chief has done this. In the Jason shooting case, he stated to an extent that the officer was behind the vehicle when Negron reversed. That fueled the anger of the family and trolls that jumped in to join. Recently, a man was shot and killed inside his car in P.T. Barnum. Chief Perez again prematurely stated that the victim had shot himself. Even Joe Ganim recently made a statement that was not well taken by Bridgeport Police Officers in response to a question made during a Debate. I think everyone should shut the fuck up and let the processes set in place to play itself out.
One more thing. If you take the e-mail that Kyle Langan sent to Ms. Jackson, in it of itself, the e-mail gives total legitimacy to the City Attorney’s concerns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxAiK6VnXw
The BPD janitor stands with his employer.
It’s documented Mark Anastasi has misled the City Council about its powers. This was not a threat, just an smarmy condescending attempt to silence a voice.
I agree. If Mark Anastasi sent me that letter I would laugh at him.
How dare he send that out in an afford to silence a mother AND a city council member at a time when Ganim is running for Governor, his president is up for reappointment to the Police Commission and the mayor’s personnel friend, A.J. Perez, is up for reappointment.
Isn’t it convienent that the council women receives a letter from a City Attirney basically telling her to shut up and let the investigation take its course no matter how king that maybe.
And the letter comes from a city attorney not THE City Attorney.
Fight on Karen. Pay no attention to the mayor and his goons.
This is what happens when a Black mother seeks justice for her children when abused at the hands of the police. This is what happens when a Black person has the temerity to speak out against police brutality when Mayor Ganim is running for an office, shut up and go away.
Now you have this sorry excuse for a city attorney and this Council President Aidee Nieves whose head is so far up Mayor Ganim’s ass that if he farted he would blow her brains out, telling this Black woman she needs to choose the city council over her beloved son. Both are telling her that her obligations should be to the city first and her son second.
Unfortunately Mayor Ganim, city attorney Mark Anastasia and Council President Aidee Nieves, councilwoman Karen Jackson didn’t get her position by kissing the ass of the DTC therefore doesn’t have any allegiance to the Mayor, Mario or the party. Her allegiance is to her son and family as it should be in spite of what others say.
Black folks you need to understand that the city attorney didn’t do this on his own as he was assuredly guided by Mayor Ganim and if he’ll to this to this sister he sure as hell will stab you in the back if given a chance.
This is the Good Old Boys network hard at work over damage control.
Immediately Mayor Ganim and Chief of Police Perez should have turned to the state’s attorney to lead this investigation.
If n stead they keep it in house and under the watchful eye of Joe Ganim because that’s who internal affairs reports to.
Danny Roach should resign now.
Let me start by saying that I don’t know City Councilwoman Karen Jackson or her son. We should wait for all of the facts and information concerning this incident before we come to any conclusion. Now that I got that out of the way here we have Hamilton Burger again not knowing what he’s talking about. At what point did Karen Jackson lose her rights as a mother and a American citizen to publicly speak out against injustice?
Then Hamilton Burger warned Jackson that she should “remain cautious that your public criticism of the police performance in this incident can in no way be misinterpreted as an attempt to use your official position for personal gain … and that you are neither seeking, nor will you accept, any preferential treatment due to your official elected position.” What the hell is this FOOL talking about, “personal gain?” As for Council President Aidee Nieves, she is showing no leadership but she’s scare to open her mouth because she doesn’t want to make Mayor Ganim to look bad for his silence.
President 45 every day is criticizing law enforcement like the FBI and the CIA officials who put their life on the line all around the world and 45 dogs them out publicly.
He’s Joe Ganim’s fool, paging Ned Lamont!
The council should take up under immediate consideration a resolution telling Mark Anastasi that this is none of his business.
Furthermore, city attorneys SHOULD NOT offer an opinion on a matter like this unless one is sought. In which case as a matter of public record they must state who sought it.
*** Has all the “facts” pertaining to the actual complaint, incident & arrest, web-cam & officers report been reviewed by the shift supervisor, admin.captain & chief, along with I.A ? Or are folks still re-acting to rumors & hear-says from both sides not really involved in the investigation? *** TIME SOMETIMES HAS THE ABILITY TO HELP DISCLOSE THE ACTIONS OF THE PAST ***
Mark Anastasi should be fired. No matter the cost. He is a cancer in Bridgeport City Governance,.