As reported yesterday, the shooting by a San Francisco Police Department sergeant of an unarmed African-American woman Thursday morning was the last straw for Mayor Ed Lee, who fired (let's call it what it is — asking someone to quit is at least philosophically a firing) the beleaguered then-Chief of Police Greg Suhr.
Following the Mayor's late-afternoon statement on Suhr's ousting (you can read it in full here), numerous other local leaders issued statements and press releases on the firing.
First came a statement from Board of Supervisors president London Breed. Breed, who had not outwardly taken a side in the rising call to fire Suhr, has fond memories of Suhr, but seems hopeful that the change will do us good:
Greg Suhr has served San Francisco valiantly for over three decades. I knew him when I was a child in the Western Addition, and he was a young narcotics officer working the beat. Greg was always respectful, always a servant of the community. I only hope his resignation today can help heal the wounds our community has suffered, and that all of us can dedicate ourselves to the police reforms Chief Suhr helped begin. May his departure be an opportunity at last for our City to come together, and for everyone, no matter their color or creed, to feel safe in our communities.
A statement from Supervisor Jane Kim, one of the first Supes to call for Suhr's ouster, was short and to the point:
I want to thank and acknowledge Chief Suhr for his 30 years of devoted service to the people of San Francisco. Now, we have to unite as a City more than ever to effect the deep changes that we know are necessary to heal and make the City safer and stronger.
Supervisor Mark Farrell, perhaps Suhr's most vocal supporter on the Board, issued a statement moments after Kim's:
“I respect Mayor Lee’s decision, and want to personally thank Chief Greg Suhr on behalf of all San Franciscans for his decades of service and progressive leadership at the San Francisco Police Department. Chief Suhr has served San Francisco for decades with distinction. Chief Greg Suhr was one of the most progressive Chief’s in the nation and in San Francisco history. I deeply respect Chief Suhr as a person, as a true San Franciscan, and as someone who woke up every day to keep the public safe, strengthen ties in the community with our residents, and to make San Francisco a better place for all communities.
“I look forward to working closely with interim Chief Toney Chaplin on strengthening the relationships needed with communities across San Francisco to implement the ongoing, proposed, and needed police reforms. Let’s come together as San Franciscans and move forward.”
The Police Officers Association's outspoken former president (and current consultant) Gary Delagnes spoke out yesterday in support of the ex-chief. “Greg was a great guy, great chief, great cop,” Delagnes told the Chronicle. “The cops don’t really know what to expect anymore. They’re disillusioned, they’re distraught."
Supervisor Scott Wiener issued a statement, telling the Chronicle, “I don’t agree with the decision. I continue to have confidence in and enormous respect for Greg Suhr."
Supervisor John Avalos, who had been calling for Suhr's removal, told the Examiner, "I think it was the right move. Now the real work needs to get done. I am hopeful that things will get better.”
I didn't receive Supe Eric Mar's statement, but CBS 5 notes that he also sent one. From their report:
Supervisor Eric Mar said in a statement that he applauded Suhr’s resignation, but was troubled that the move had come after “yet another officer involved killing” of an African-American woman in San Francisco.“This opens the door for the Police Commission to conduct a national search to select a chief that can challenge the culture of bigotry and racism in the department and rebuild trust with low income communities,” Mar said.
Cristina Guiterrez, the elder member of the Frisco Five, the hunger strikers who camped outside the SFPD's Mission Station and starved themselves for 17 days calling for the firing of Suhr, told ABC 7 Thursday evening, "It was the power of the people who did it, not the supervisors, it was the power of the people. This is our victory, all of us, not just the five. Everybody who's been fighting for this. So we're very happy for this. But the struggle continues."
Addendum: Former supervisor and current president of SF's NAACP chapter Rev. Amos Brown gives a choice quote in support of Suhr to the New York Times. "You had some forces that made a scapegoat out of him," Brown says. "If Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad and Confucius were running that department, you’d still have problems."
Previously: Unarmed Female Suspect Fatally Shot By SFPD In Bayview
Mayor Fires Police Chief Following Another Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting