Updated: Councilmember Calls On DC Mayor To Fire Police Chief

Updated (June 9, 7:45 p.m.): This story was updated with quotes from Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Peter Newsham.

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."

Earlier in the week, the Council passed a budget plan that cut $15 million from the police budget. It also passed the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, which included such reforms as barring choke holds and neck restraints, improving access to body-worn camera videos, extended time for corrective or adverse actions against MPD officers in series cases, and expanding the membership of the Use of Force Review Board.

“Chief Newsham has regularly engaged in an adversarial, rather than collaborative, relationship with the Council, even on piecemeal reforms," Grosso said, in a release. "If we were to judge the bill and annual budget the Council passed based on the reaction of the Chief of Police, as well as the mayor, you would think we were firing half the officers in the city."

In addition, the amendment required MPD officers to clearly identify themselves as local law enforcement during First Amendment assemblies. This item addresses concerns raised following recent protests in which some law enforcement members were not wearing any identifying markings to show whether they were federal or MPD officers.

"Most recently, this week, we have seen credible evidence that Chief Newsham has not been truthful about MPD involvement with the June 1 police violence against protestors exercising their First Amendment rights," Grosso said, in his letter. "This is hardly surprising, considering his track record. He has been responsible for thousands of illegal arrests and has cost our city millions in settlements. He has shown his contempt for protestors from Pershing Park to the 2017 Inauguration to Black Lives Matter Plaza, where he continues to direct police to attack demonstrators, using tear gas and violence in direct contradiction of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform bill."

Grosso ended his letter saying public officials needed to be held to a high standard in D.C., and asked the mayor to immediately remove Newsham from his job.

Bowser and Newsham participated in a press conference Thursday night to brief the public on an arrest in the shooting of 11-year-old Davon McNeal. They were asked about Grosso's letter.

"Councilmember Grosso has often said that he wants to work collaboratively to move this city forward," Newsham said. "But when you see a letter like that, I guess his idea of collaboration is he only wants to collaborate with people who think like him. And apparently, I don't think enough like him, so he says I need to be fired. I think there's a guy at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. who acts like that. It's either my way or the highway. Those are the initial thoughts on the letter."
Bowser agreed with Newsham's response.

"I know that Councilmember Grosso and I have worked together in a number of different issues, especially in education realm," she said.

The mayor added that Grosso only had a few months left on the council, and she hoped he wouldn't spend the lame duck period making the city less safe.

Also see ...

DC Officials React To Death Of George Floyd In Minneapolis

In order for D.C. to move forward with reform, Chief Newsham needs to go.

Read my statement and letter to @MayorBowser: https://t.co/XEUoYCOrND pic.twitter.com/DEgv6LTWBN
— David Grosso (@cmdgrosso) July 9, 2020