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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1982-12-29 Minutes■ i fw 1 1TY OF MIAMI T G� ter•. ; � 1 Ifj'r;l.• `? * I NCUKI:i)lt %TIIE D i tI c fit; �. Cp•,F lN U T E S �. DECEMBT:R 29, 1982 OF MEETING HELD ON (PRESS CONFERENCE) CALLED & CHAIRED BY H.V. GARY, CITY MANAGER PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK CITY HALL RALPH G._ ONGIE CITY CLERK ld dA 1 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING (PRESS CONFERENCE) CALLED & CHAIRED BY H. V. GARY, CITY MANAGER On the 29th day of December, 1982, a Special Public Conference in the Commission Chambers, City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida was called by City Manager Howard V. Gary, for the purpose of discussing the civil disturbance that took place in the Overtown area on December 28, 1982. Meeting was held in the Commission Chambers, City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order at 11:25 A.M. by Howard V. Gary with the following members of the Commission present: Commissioner Miller J. Dawkins Vice -Mayor J. L. Plummer, Jr. ALSO PRESENT: Matty Hirai, Assistant City Clerk Mr. Howard V. Gary: I think we are all aware of basically that we have a problem in the Overtown area, which includes the area of approximately seven blocks long, fifteen blocks wide. The incident that occurred began last evening when two officers initiated a self -inspection of a video game room. Those officers, during their inspection, noticed an individual allegedly to have a gun 'in his back, underneath a shirt. They proceeded to the gentle- men and asked him what it was that he had in the back of his shirt. The individual allegedly responded that it was a gun. The officers proceeded to arrest him. The specific details in terms of what transpired are being in- vestigated now by the State Attorney's Office. It is being investigated by the Homicide Division of the Miami Police Department. The individual was shot in the head, in the side of the eye. He is in critical condition. There has been another killing or death in the area, which transpired late last night, approximately 1:00 o'c'-ck, which involved a B&E. TL.:, individual was shot and killed by a police offic�i after a chase. Individual allegedly had a gun. There has also been another death in the area, which transpired before this happened. It was not a police incident. It was a domestic, with no police involvement. I think that it is important for everybody to know that I am asking everybody to be calm. I have instructed the Police Depart- ment to also be calm. We will show no force, but we will be prepared to respond to protect life. I would also like for everybody to understand that I will personally, as City Manager, conduct my personal investigation. I will supervise all investigations. We will inform the community as information is completed. I can also assure you that the investigation will be objective, unbiased. There will be no whitewash. If the officers were determined to have acted inappropriately, we will take the appropriate disciplinary action, or criminal action. If the officers acted properly, he will be exonerated. Both officers have been relieved of street duty. We are in the process of an intense and thorough investigation. I think it is important, and I encourage the Black community to assist me in asking people to be calm to allow me the opportunity to put some confidence in me that we will have an objective investigation of this matter. No one will be protected if he has done wrong. I think it is also important to note that we have scheduled a meeting here at 11:00 A.M. to give the community an opportunity to hear what has happened up to now; to ask questions; express their concerns. Commissioner Dawkins and Vice -Mayor Plummer were with me last night up until about 2:00 P.M. We talked to a number of community people. We have expressed to them what we have expressed to you as of right now. At this time, we have reports in terms of what information we ' have as of this time. The Public Information Officer, Ms. Gallogly will have copies for you and at this time I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS NOT PLACED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) 01 ld DEC 2919$2 WA Mr. Gary: I can't hear you. Would you please use the microphone. Mr. Plummer: Come up to this microphone. While she is coming up, I think it is also important to note that immediately upon the outbreak last evening, as normal procedure, that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was immediately notified, as well as the Justice Department. Both were put on notice at the outbreak of the problem. Ms. Maggie Garcia: I am Maggie Garcia of GBS Radio. We just talked with Angelo over at Miami PIO, and he said there was trouble brewing once again in the streets. Do you have anything on that? Mr. Gary: Yes. We informed the community last night that we would have this meeting at 11:00 o'clock. They agreed that we would have the community people meet at that particular site and that we would have bus transportation for them at that site, because some people couldn't afford to come down here. We were informed recently that there were some rocks and bottles thrown. The area is now secure and I am under the impression from the information that I have that the rock and bottle throwing has stopped. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Can you identify the two officers? Mr. Gary: Yes, the two officers involved were an Officer Alvarez and Officer Cruz. That is in initial. Officer Alvarez was the one who did the shooting. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: What is his first name? Mr. Gary: I don't have the first name right now, but it is Officer Alvarez. I will get it for you and will be happy to provide that to you. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (Inaudible) .... you were talking about Alvarez. Can you name the other officer? Mr. Gary: The other officer was Officer Reeves. Right. Reeves. Mr. John Due: Vice -Mayor Plummer, Commissioner Dawkins and City Manager Gary, I have with us today Mr. Roy Phillips. Ms. Hirai: Please give your name for the record. Mr. Due: John Due. My name is John Due, staff with the Community Rela- tions Board. Mr. Roy Phillips is a member of the Community Relations Board. He would like to introduce to you some persons who were witnesses and they will be available for questions from your office, or anyone else. Mr. Phillips. Mr. Roy Phillips: Mr. Manager, members of the Council, I would like to intro- duce four persons this morning who testified before the Community Relations Board - have first hand knowledge of what happened last night. The first per- son whom I would like to introduce is Mr. Jeffery Hoskins. The second person, Sammy Shelby; Robert Fletcher and Allison L. Hoare. These four persons testi- fied this morning before the Community Relations Board, so they are at your pleasure this morning to answer any questions you may have at this time. Mr. Gary: I would suggest... this is a very technical situation when you start talking about a death and a shooting, particularly in view of the fact that we have to protect the citizens and we have to protect the officers and we want to make sure that we do not abdicate the right of the citizen and the punish- ment of the officer if he has acted improperly, because if it is a criminal offense, we don't want the officer to be in a situation where he can relieved of his responsibility for his actions. Simutaneously, we don't want to jeo- pardize the case if officer has acted improperly, or properly. What I would suggest, and I would like to inform everybody that I have asked Mr. Ingraham, who is an arm of my office, who is the Executive Director of the Office of Professional Compliance, which is responsible for overseeing the actions of the Police Department and investigations of shooting or alleged misconduct on the part of police officers. I would like these four individuals to give your name to Mr. Ingraham, and I would like Mr. Ingraham, if you agree, to take a statement from you and take you down to Internal Security for a statement. He personally will do it. Is that okay with you? Ms. Ayers? ld 02 DEC 2 91982 IS Ms. Georgia Jones Ayers: Howard, we want to do that, but there are some citizens in the community who don't trust - and I happen to serve on that board - your Internal Affairsy per -se. We want to make sure that there is an attorney present at all meetings whenever you speak to these young people. And while I am here, I would like the the City of Miami Police Department will so provide for respon- sible citizens to have some sort of I.D. so that we can remain in the community throughout any civil disturbances as we done in the past and we would like to have that done immediately after this meeting so if something breaks out and we can't reach you - we would like to have that done for selected people. Mr. Gary: That is well taken and I will instruct the Police Department to give you the I.D. that is necessary for you to assist us in the community. Ms. Ayers, with regard to the four individuals, we have no problems with a lawyer being there. We will have... are you suggesting that we utilize our lawyer, right? Ms. Ayers: Well, you can use yours, but the community wants to use their own. Not that I don't trust you, just the community don't trust you. Mr. Gary: I have no problem with that. I would suggest, Ms. Ayers, that Mr. Ingraham, who you know personally, should be the one who should be contacted, because he is in a process of not only sitting in on the statements of the wit- nesses, but also the statements of the police officers. He directly partici- pated in that. Ms. Ayers: Okay, what you know, when this was set up, OPC was not supposed to become involved, I thought, until after Internal Affairs had taken care of their part of the problem. Mr. Gary: No, we agreed that OPC would be active observers and limited parti- cipants, so they will be there when we are interviewing the officers for their statements to assure that there is no whitewash and we do the same thing for the witnesses that are not officers. We want to make sure that he is there, so there won't be any misunderstanding as to whether or not the Police Depart- ment is attempting to whitewash the situation as perceived by the community, so he is going to participate in all of those. May I also suggest, Ms. Ayers, that there are a lot of people who have been assisting us and will continue to assist us and I encourage you to do so. We will get you the I.A., but I will also ask for you to keep me informed as things occur and give me any recommendations and suggestions you may have. I can be reached at 579-6366, twenty-four hours. Ms. Ayers: Okay, well, you tell that to your subordinates so they won't be protecting you and we can't reach you. Thank you. Mr. Gary: They understand. Mr. Jeff Reeves: Mr. Gary. Mr. Gary: Yes, sir. Mr. Reeves: I am Jeff Reeves. I also have been informed that these young men who will probably be witnesses may need some protection because they do fear a little bit and I want to assure them that there will nothing come of them if they tell their stories straight and this is what we want. This is what we must have! And I would also say this, that we...and I think I talked to you earlier... that same policeman that is still patroling as late as a few minutes ago down in that district, that should be pulled out, let's face it and we can't afford any more bloodshed. We cannot afford any more distur- bance. The Orange Bowl is coming here this weekend. Thousands of people are expected in Miami to fill the hotels and the economy is bad and we are saying this, that unless you pull certain kind of policemen out of that dis- trict now, there will possibly be some more disturbances tonight and I just don't want that kind of thing to reoccur. Also, if I may say this, that this problem is deeper than what happened last night. That is just the top of it. I am asking if there are any elected Black officials here - if you know of any, tell them to meet me at my office, 4952, this afternoon at 7:00 o'clock and let's talk about the problems, because we are going to be in touch with Tallahassee. We are going to be in touch with Washington, be- cause there are some officers that are operating in this city and in this county that need to be looked at very strongly. Very, very strongly, very positively, because we cannot have this kind of thing with the economy ld 03 DEC 2 9 1982 existing the way it is, continuing to happen any more, and I am very concerned about this, because we are going to be in session next week and that money, the money is bad. Money is tough! And we need all the tax money that we can get in this state and in this city and in this county, so that there are a lot of programs that will be not be cut back and it is programs that cut back people! And I am saying this to all citizens of Dade County, of Miami, of South Florida. Let's keep the cool. Let's do some positive things and if we need to clean up some kinds of things. Let's clean them up! Let's wash the linen and let it hang out and dry and make it be beautiful from now on, but for God's sake, Mr. Howard Gary, get certain policemen off of those streets down there, because I don't want to see it happen any more. Thank you. Mr. Gary: Let me just dispel some of the concerns and I agree with what you just said. Let me just dispel some of the rumors that are going around. The three of us were there immediately on the scene last night. The only time officers went in was either to go and save a life, protect an officer, or to secure a gun from the vehicles. I have informed the Police Chief of the sensitivity that I would like to implement in that area and we will assure that occurs. Now, I was informed this morning that we have police officers out there four to a car with shotguns. They have been ordered out of the area. We will only respond with force to save life and that includes the citizen life as well as the police officer's life. Yes, sir? Mr. Jack Lewis: Mr. Gary, Mr. Plummer... Ms. Hirai: Your name for the record, please. Mr. Lewis: I am Jack Lewis, community worker - free. I am a construction worker formerly with Dade County Community Relations Board, formerly with the City of Miami. Now, the citizens at this time have asked that you pull the policemen out who arrived with those open guns sticking out the windows. Now, I was there also immediately after the incident occurred. Now, there are some things happened that might not have happened, if the policemen would have honored my identification and at this time ... now, what I am saying, without identification, we received those during the riot, and we were there. When this incident occurred, we were there. Now, if you in- tend to pull the police out as the citizens ask, then we need an immediate office set up in that area, so that we can have some ombudsmen who can take the place of the police. Now, there are some of us who can identify those type of people, but it needs to be some immediate action. Now, there are some people who know that the law is for some and justice is for the other, but, we are some who feel that there is just law for Blacks and justice for someone else, but we have some people in there who will immediately come out when these types of incidences occur. For an instance, when I came on the scene, I met with a sergeant. I asked him if he was through with his business, please pull his troops out. He referred me to a lieutenant. I asked him the same thing, then a captain the same thing. The next person was a major. I think he is the assistant, or either he is chief of patrol. I asked him if he would pull his troops out, because what I didn't want was some of our people in the area to go and get some high powered weapons and come back and try to retaliate. He would said it would take fifteen to twenty minutes. That is the same thing that the captain and the lieutenant told me, but I went to the phone to call Mr. Knight - Dewey Knight, but I didn't have my book with me and I didn't have any phone numbers, but I know his number, so I called him and then he called the other people. When I came back, police cars were afire, so some were some news media cars afire. I think if he would have pulled his troops out earlier, these types of things wouldn't have happened. What I am saying to you really is, the people who were in there, that can help need to be about the business of doing something, but they need help from you and if at this time, we need immediate help. Now, I am available and would like very much, today to be able to go in there and say "We will set up an office. We will have the people in here to try to talk to the people, try to protect the citi- zens' lives, limbs and property", and we have those type of people in the area and if not so, I probably wouldn't have known, because one of the citizens came and got me immediately after the incident occurred, because he knows what I am about. Then, after the major left with his troops, he left a police offi- cer behind. Then, I tried to talk to the citizens there at that time and let them know when they get ready to come and rescue Buhrmaster, Office Buhrmaster, they come in such force that they wouldn't be able to stand up to it, and be- lieve me, I stood there talking them until the force came. The police officer got out of the car and through getting out of the car, I don't know if it was 04 DEC 291982 eft error, or intentional, but his gun went off and the bullet passed right over me, but I know when SWAT comes, they want you down on the ground, spread eagle, so without them telling me, that is what I did. By doing this, the bullet passed over me; then he cocked his shotgun and told me to get. Get! Throw- ing tear gas, I couldn't see where I was going, but still, I got out of there, so I am telling you, we need some immediate action and I would like for you at this time to tell me whether or not you are able to do this type of thing? Mr. Dawkins: Before you do that, may I ask one question, Mr. Lewis? Mr. Lewis: Do it. Mr. Dawkins: You are in that area. You are in that community. You are known. The area under discussion. Is it a drug center? Mr. Lewis: The area in question... Mr. Dawkins: The building, yes. Mr. Lewis: The building? Mr. Dawkins: Yes. Mr. Lewis: No, no. The building? No. (LAUGHTER) One minute. Hold on for a minute. Okay, before I leave, there is one other thing I would like to say, and I would like very much to have an answer. At this time I would like to have an answer. Mr. Plummer: Could we ask please, that you give the speaker the courtesy - we will give all of you the right to speak, but we must do this in an orderly manner and each one of you in turn will have your right to speak and will ask the same courtesy while you are speaking. Let the speaker finish, and then the next one and then anyone who wants to speak will have the opportunity. Continue. Mr. Lewis: I say "no", because most of the kids they go in there especially to play games. They don't even sell cigarettes in there, but I don't want to say too much about the place, because the Manager of the place is here who is quite capable. But, I would like to have an answer at this time, because this is what the citizens have asked me to do and at this time I would like to have an answer. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS NOT PLACED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) Mr. Lewis: Take it easy, dear. Take it easy! (INAUDIBLE BACK GROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: Excuse me, if I may. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: If I may, Miss...excuse me. I will be happy to respond to all questions that people ask me. I would suggest we do it in an orderly manner. To you, Miss - I am the City Manager. I am the chief executive officer of this city. I will decide... (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Dawkins: Georgia, see if you can quiet her down, Georgia. Mr. Gary: Let me respond to the direct question in terms of setting up an office out in the area. I am amenable to that. I would like to talk to you and Mrs. Ayers about how we can do that immediately after this meeting. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND CONTENTS) Mr. Gary: I would have no problem with her also. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) U DEC 29 1982 r Mr. Gary: Can I respond? (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS NOT PLACED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) Mr. Gary: If I may...may we all —may we have some order, please? (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: May we have some order, please? Miss, may we have order so I can respond to the lady's question? (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: I have no problem with her speaking, but let me respond directly to her question. Miss, I have no problem with you being a part of that meet- ing to tell me what you think I should do to calm down things in that area - you personally, and anybody else in this room who would like to do that. And I will be happy to take your suggestions and consider them just as much as I do anybody else's. Secondly, what I am asking you to do, and I have informed you earlier, that I am going to personally supervise the investigation and I will guarantee to you and every citizen in Miami that justice will prevail, okay? (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: Come up here. Come up here. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Dawkins: Hold it! Hold it! Come to the mike, please! Let's some order. Now anybody wanting to speak, please come to the mike. Now, the rest of you, get away from the mike. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: If I may ... hey look, we all can't talk together. Let's do it in an orderly fashion. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: Wait a second. Mr. Perkins: Please, listen to me now! Please listen. We didn't come down for equal rights, equal justice! In Dade County the Black community doesn't have it because your Whites take it. to jail. I have 30,000 names here now which are pushing for equal rights, equal justice, jobs, businesses, homes and houses. When these ..(inaudible) ................ have the money coming in here, they go into Whitey's hands and Black people are railroaded under the jailhouse, getting shot and killed out here! You all begged for a riot. I told you all before down here. You have got to get that mass of police off of here. We don't want no riots out here. We don't want no shooting and killing out here. I don't like what you are doing to the Black people. You are hurting me. I don't like it. I swear to God, I don't like it! I don't want my people shot and killed. Just this morning, right there on N. W. 3rd Avenue, there are nearly 300 some policemen out there now going to shoot Black people now. I don't like. You all say get them out of the way when they are out there trying to shoot and kill now. There is no equal rights in Dade County when you are Black. If you are White, you are all right, but your Mafia and Klu Klux Klans are taking over! I hate to get back in hate to get back in the early 40s and 50s. I hate to get down there and shoot and kill. I don't want nobody hurt down here. The colored skin is not my problem, but what is happening to my people down here. There are no jobs for them, no food and clothes. (inaudible) You are all putting it into Whitey's pocket and Black people are getting railroaded. I don't like it, so please take it under consideration now, before it is too late. There is a (inaudible) on the limb now and I don't want these (inauuiu1e) Please help these people now. I am asking you. Now! Mr. Dawkins: May I have something to say? May I say something, please? Mr. Perkins: Yes, you may. ld u DEC 2 9196". ,., Mr. Dawkins: Okay. I don't give damn how many emotional outbursts we have here, we are not going to accomplish...(Wait a minute Miss, I listened to you, please listen to me). I just listened to you, will you listen to me? I just finished listening to you, so give me the same courtesy I gave you, okay? Now, these emotional outbreaks are not going to accomplish anything, okay? Now, let me have all of you realize that Howard Gary and I are no damn better than you are. Okay? 3:00 o'clock this morning Howard Gary and I had break- fast. We left Biscayne.... (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS NOT PLACED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) Mr. Dawkins: I will listen to you if you will listen to me! We left Biscayne Boulevard and coming back into the area at 12th Avenue and I-95 we were stopped, because we were two Black men. The Florida Highway Patrolman did not even lis- ten to this man when he told him he was the City Manager! This man had to hold his hands up and plead and tell him "Look, I am the Manager, hold up, please". It is not that we don't know what is happening, but we cannot correct it without your help. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Dawkins: How old was the youngster that got shot, Miss? UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (NOT ON MICROPHONE) Fifteen years old. Mr. Gary: Twenty. Mr. Dawkins: He was twenty, Miss. He was twenty. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS - NOT ON MICROPHONE) Mr. Gary: If I may... (INAUDIBLE,BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Dawkins: Don't go for that line. Mr. Gary: Don't go for that line. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I want to say something. During the night the boy got killed, my grandson was standing next to this boy. I sent him in there to get me two hamburgers and my grandson, he is thirteen years old —listen, let me tell you something. I am a hard working woman. I work in a hospital. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Please let me tell u so mething. omething. There are not too many places that you can send your children over there for recreation that _ they don't get into trouble, but that game room is a nice, clean place. I have investigated it to see what was going on and I gave them my recommenda- tion that they can go there because there is nothing but PAC games. They have got a place to get a sandwich. It is very nice in there. There is a _ dirty bar across the street, but that is the only place... there is nowhere else for those kids to go. Now, I have sent him over there. I didn't want to cook that night, and I sent him for two hamburgers. I sent him to the store too. So what he did, he went and put his order in. He was so very excited and I can't tell you the exact words he told me. He put his order in and then he went to the store. He brought me the soda, or whatever I sent a: him for and then he said "Mom, I going back and pick up your hamburgers." He stayed a long time. I knew he was playing Pacman, but that is his hangout. ." So what happened, he came and said "Mama, you haven't got any hamburgers" He had his ticket, he still has his ticket. He had his ticket in his hand and he said "Mama, a boy just got shot, standing in back of me. The boy was playing this PAC game. The police came in behind the boy, tapped him on the laic shoulder and turned him around and turned his face directly in front of him °} and pulled the trigger." And I didn't believe it, because that doesn't sound 1 like a policeman should do. I said "Jody, you lie." He said, "No, Mama, I 7 am not lying." I said, "No, you are lying at me." Until my son-in-law called me up and said "Miss Merle, a boy just got killed down there". DEC0-7 91962 ld 2 1 �. Oh, Jesus, that is too much! This is where all the children...and there can't be drugs in there, because these children don't use drugs. These are for the little children and the teenagers. There are people off the streets. e 'i (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENT) Mr. Gary: Miss, may I respond? UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: And whoever got this place, that is something - he is trying to do something for the community, for the Black children and Whitey people shouldn't try to it up. Now, I am very upset. My grandson has heart trouble. He has a murmur and I hope he saw doesn't give him no problems. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENT) Mr. Gary: Okay, may I respond. Put the mike off for a second, and allow me to respond to a number of the statements that have been made. First of all, I said that we are going to have an impartial investigation. I don't —let me finish - I listened to you. You will see it - let me explain it to you. I have also informed you that the investigation will be unbiased and objective. I will do it. The issue is not the location, the issue is whether or not those police officers acted properly or improperly. If they acted improperly, jus- tice will be done. If they acted properly, we will also let you know that. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENT) Mr. Gary: Miss, that will be a part of the investigation also. Okay, the part of the investigation is the whole sceniero that led up to the shooting and led up to the disturbance. We are not making any judgment about the community, about that building. What we are saying is, did those police officers act properly, or improperly. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENT) Mr. Gary: One at a time please. Will everybody line up at the mike so we know... Okay, the question is "we". Will the Press please stand back some, please? Mr. Dawkins: Will the Press go back there? Mr. Gary: Please stand back some. Wait a second. We have to do it in an orderly manner. Please go to the mike after. Let me respond. She asked a very good question. Who is "we"? I was trying to explain to you before. The City Commission, which is five people, appoint a City Manager, who by law does the hiring and the firing, and that is me. If those officers did wrong, I do the firing. In terms of criminal investigation, it is the State Attorney's Office. So "we" includes me in terms of employment, the State Attorney in terms of criminal investigations. That is "we". (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS - OFF MICROPHONE) Mr. Gary: May I suggest ... I will be happy to answer all questions, but you can't all talk together. Would you please... (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: I have that power. I will tell you what. I can do that. and I will make an agreement. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: Wait one second. I will turn it on. Let me respond to her and we will turn it on, please. Put the stick down, thank you. I will guarantee you that if you agree to the community and ask everybody to be calm, I will withdraw the police officers to a peripheral area. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:.... Black police officers. Mr. Gary: Put the Black police officers in. You got a deal. Let me finish, wait one second. Miss, what is your name? ld is 3 DEC 29 1982 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Leonora. Mr. Gary: Leonora what? Would you do me a favor? Would you come here? I want you to talk to my assistant and tell us what you want us to do that you think will calm the area. Please, come here, right now. (INAUDIBLE COMMENTS NOT ENTERED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) Mr. Gary: Okay, will you turn the mike on for Reverend Rolle? (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: No, and if you want to, you can wait until this is over and do it, or do it now. It is up to you. I am not trying to get rid of anybody. I need you more than you need me. Rev. Rolle: Manager, these are demands and I want these demands to be done immediately, not tomorrow, but right now! We want the police officer that killed that brother - those officers be dismissed immediatley without pay. And I say, not tomorrow, but right now, until the investigation is over, as conducted by the F.B.I., the State Attorney's Office and the City of Miami Internal Security. Now, the second demand is, we want more Black police officers in our community, not only in Culmer, but in Coconut Grove, and Liberty City too. Move those Latins out of that community right now. Not tomorrow! Right now! The other demand is that all expenses - medical ex- penses, or funeral expenses be paid by the City of Miami and that the family - the bereaved family receive compensation from the City of Miami for those damages and with all respect to you, if the City of Miami refuses to give us this request for demands, then we will get more Commissioners and Mayor. Mr. Dawkins: May I respond. Let me respond to one thing. I will not permit Howard Gary, as a Commissioner, to suspend anyone and let him sit down and draw a check in these times and economy. Now, I have no problems with Mr. Gary bringing those officers off the streets and putting them behind a desk until the hearing is over and we take whatever steps have to be taken, but with this economy and with so many of my brothers unemployed, I am not about to let the Manager, and less he can get three other votes... (INAUDIBLE COMMENTS NOT ENTERED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) Mr. Dawkins: You know what? I lived fifty-seven years, Reverend Rolle, with- out being a Commissioner and if I don't if I don't live for fifty-seven more _}.�. _, you and nobody else will dictate to me. I follow my convictions. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: Let me add, if I may. Reverend Rolle, we listened to you. If I may, there is a gentlemen that came up and gave me this badge, who said there was law for some and justice for some, but there was not justice for Blacks. Now, obviously for us to assume that those officers are guilty before we go through the same due process that we are now asking for the Black community, that is counter -productive to what we are trying to do. What I told you is, if they are found guilty, they will go. But, you have got to wait until they have their due process... let me finish! Their due process will be done ob- jectively and will be done without just the Police Department doing it. That is a guarantee. Ms. Frazier. Ms. Frazier: We were out there to bring citizens in here from that area on the bus. People could not get on the buses because of all the police in the area and there was a lot of tension right there right now in the area and it is...I think it would be wise for this you, the City Commission, to take action now as to withdraw those policemen from that area there and the masses like they are now. We would not get the citizens to come down here. They say that they were going to have their city hall meeting right there right now and the responsibility lies on you right now to curtail what is going on. Mr. Gary: If I may respond. That point is well taken. I would recommend that a group of you meet in my conference room upstairs - agree that that is what we are going to do. We will allow you to go into the community and tell the residents and I will withdraw the police officers to the peripheral area. Ms. Frazier: Okay, they would know all about that ... (INAUDIBLE - OFF MIKE) 09 ld DEC 2 9 1982 Mr. Gary: Would you talk into the mike, please? UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Okay, why would the police block off main streets where people have to catch a bus to go to work and they can't even get through be- cause the police have it blocked off? Now, this morning, I am standing on 2nd Avenue, minding my business. One walked up to me and asked me for my I.D. - for what reason, I don't know. I asked him why he wanted to see my I.D. He said "Well, you think you are smart, don't you?". I said, "I'm not being smart, I am only asking you a question". Now, last night, all of this was uncalled for. I, right now have a hospital bill that I have got to pay on account of them throwing tear gas and a kid got it in his eyes and he had to be taken to the hospital - which happens to be my God -son. Now, I will tell you, when the bill comes to me, it is going to the City of Miami because they are the ones that did it! I didn't do it. All last night, they were out there throwing tear gas and telling innocent people to move off the streets. They were jumping out of cars throwing. Now, another thing. I called the police three times Monday night. You know what they tell me? "We will take it over the phone". They don't even come out and What are they being paid for, to sit in a police station, and sit around drinking coffee all night long and not giving the public the service that they are supposed to have? If we want to give reports on the phone and every- body would know our business, we could do that easy. All we have to do is write it on the wall. You cannot get respect out of the City of Miami, I don't care, where you are at. You can't get respect out of none of them! A lady asked one day on town for information of how to get a bus to go somewhere. You know what they tell her? "I am not the information booth". Well, what are they being paid for? To stand around in the store, talking to women when they are supposed to be working? (INAUDIBLE COMMENTS NOT PLACED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (con't) I will tell you what - that drug store right there on 1st Avenue and lst Street - everyone of these City of Miami policemen stand in that doorway and talk to the women that come in there. You can't even get in the doorway. Orange Bowl, the same identical way. They are all around there talking to those people and not even doing a job. Some of them, they say, "Oh well, we will check into it. We will let you know." They give you a little fun and then you are going to pay $8.00 to get a police report, they are crazy! And then they ask me, "Did you see a guy run across?" If I did, I wouldn't tell them. Although I am for law enforcement, but I would not, as long as I live, help the City of Miami ... if they ever ask me a question, did I see what goes on, 1 would tell them, "You get paid to do the job, not me". That is exactly...I hope they hear me, because the next one with me again. I am not coming to City Hall again. I will go further because who wants to pay for it to get them off my back, because they are not worth nothing. They don't even give the public service. They look at you and think you are nothing but a damn fool. I mean, it is ridiculous. We come down here and ask you all to do something. You are not doing it. All we get is, "we'll look into it, and then they expect the citi- zens to work with the Police Department. For what reason? To get kicked and locked up for no reason? On the streets, they are going to stop you. "Let me see your I.D." Well, they look at your I.D., you have a picture on it - "You are not the one". Then you stay there twenty minutes waiting for them to check something. And those radios they have got, they need to put them in their pockets and keep them off, because they don't use them. They turn them off. And another thing, I can go further on, if you want me to! The next time I catch one on Biscayne Boulevard, between 36th and 79th flirting with these homosexuals, they are going to get it. Now, I could name a bunch of them and just what they are doing. Mr. Gary: Let me respond to... UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (con't) See, I am out there twenty-four hours a day. These people, some of them are on the but, I know exactly what is going on. I can put my finger on a whole heap of them. Mr. Gary: Let me respond and then I will listen to the next person. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (con't) Another thing. I've seen one of them the other day, snatch a kid off of a bicycle - if it had been one of mine... ld 10 DEC 29 1982 His mother, the policeman's mother (inaudible) That was wrong. The bicycle was not stolen. The bicycle had been bought, registered and everything and they snatched the kid off the bicycle, but if it had been a kid of mine, this mother would have been walking down the aisle behind the same day, going to the cemetery. Now, I want to tell you - I want you to hear this. I have got a twelve year old daughter and God be my secret guardian, if any of them ever put there hands on her, he will have to answer to me! I hope you hear. That goes for sergeants, lieutenants, captains, anybody, and I live in the Overtown area. Grab my daughter? You might as well make re- servations with the cemetery and reservations with the undertaker, because you are going the same day. There isn't going to be no if's, ands, or but's about it, because I am getting sick and tired of the way you are doing here, the way you are doing the public and everything. You are getting paid and are not doing a damn thing, but lollygaging, flirting and drinking coffee and having fun. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: I just got the information that we had a little disturbance back again in Overtown, okay? (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) Mr. Gary: Say that again? .... It is under control. What I want to do now, so that we can do something positive in trying to calm this thing, what is happening out in the community. I would like to meet with that group who is going to assist me in going out in the community and calm those people down. We will pull the police officers out. (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTS) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. Gary, okay, there is not a I will tell you what. 'You, Mr. Plummer, and Mr. Dawkins, everybody from Overtown that came on these two buses, listen. Listen to what I am saying. I am sick about what the Police Department is doing. Listen to what I am saying. Everybody that came on the two buses that Mr. Gary and Mr. Dawkins chartered for this particular meeting this morning, please do me a favor. All of us, including Mr. Dawkins and Mr. Gary, and Mr. Plummer, are going to ride the same buses back to Overtown and then we are going to let them see what is going on. Is that a deal, Mr. Gary? Mr. Gary, is that a deal? Mr. Gary: If I may... yes, but wait one second. First of all, all of us going out there, we need to make sure that everybody is together in terms of what we are going to do. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Okay, you all here that? Do you hear that? Okay. You, Mr. Dawkins and Mr. Plummer are willing to ride back on the bus with us? Mr. Gary: Let me finish. What we are going to do is that you are going to ask everybody to be calm. I am going to pull the police officers out. Is that.... UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Listen to what I am saying, Mr. Gary. Are you, Mr. Dawkins and Mr. Plummer willing to ride back on the bus with us? We will see that you all get back to City Hall. We don't want no policemen following us. We don't want anybody but just the three of you. Mr. Gary: First of all... UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Now, if we do it this way, we know we got something going. Mr. Dawkins: What bus you want... UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Now. we do it this way, we know we have got something going. We get them to ride with us.., Mr. Dawkins: What bus ... hold it, hold it! What bus you want me on, the first or the second one? DEC 9 9982 (INAUDIBLE BACKGROUI? OMMENTS NOT PLACED INTO THE Ply ZC RECORD) Mr. Dawkins: Well, let's go! r UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Dealing with the investigation of Nevelle Johnson, I would like to know, are you going to keep up dealing with the investigation of Nevelle Johnson, better known as "Snake". We would like to know, are you e all going to keep up with the community step by step of this investigation, because so many have gone on and after the decision comes up, the community doesn't know what is happening and this is affecting our community. Mr. Gary: I promise you that we will have periodic information going directly to that community, coming directly from me, ok, in terms of the status of that investigation. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Ok, alright and I will accept that. Thank you. Mr. Gary: Ok. Ms. Mamie Pinder: Ok, what I had to say is this. First of all, I think that since you are the Manager, Mr. Gary,... by the way my name is Mamie Pinder. Mr. Gary: Yes, Ms. Pinder? Ms. Pinder: I think that it would be to your advantage to encourage the Mayor to cancel the trip to Africa with those negroes that will be accompanying him for the trade fair. You are talking about sixty thousand dollars, twenty- five thousand dollars of our tax dollars which just went to make the very same people pay an extra penny and fortunately that failed and let's do something constructive for the people Overtown. I don't know if you are aware, but what is happening Overtown is not just happening it happened by design and by a plan and the people Overtown... that is my roots. I was born and raised there. I live on Southwest 153rd Street, but I take my son over there to get his hair cut and I go over there to visit my family and friends. And I'm going to address you in particular, Commissioner Plummer, because I think it was about ten years ago when you first sat and took your seat on this Commission Board and I campaigned for you and after ten years, I don't see how you could have sat there and not encourage something productive to happen Overtown. I'm glad that the people are gone, because I would not want to cause a stir or a rile, but you know that it's by plan and you know that their suffering has been an intent and you know that the plan to put up the government buildings when you could put money so that these people can become economically productive and you know that I presented the green lantern plan to your Commission Board in 1972 and nothing was done, except that, that plan was sold to someone in the Nixon Administration who later turned it over to the Republicans and I don't mind, because I am a Republican and that's why I'm a Republican because I refuse to crumble down to the politics that Democrats play with Black people at the expense of Black people and you call yourselves honorable men. Do something honorable, build Overtown and make it a community. Send the trash people to pick up the dead dogs off of the street and the garbage. Do something honorable and we will reelect you, if not, we will put you out. I am going to campaign if possible so that David Kennedy can return as Mayor of this city so we can get something constructive done, because all of the White people are not bad and what happened to him was by plan. We intend to make a change. Thank you. Mr. Henry Gibbins: Vice -Mayor Plummer, Manager Gary, my name is Henry Gibbins, I'm the General Manager of Recreation Establishment, Inc. I would like to say to you here that we take great pride in the kind of operation that we have over there. We are very interested and very concerned about the community over there. Our game center operates from 10 O'clock in the morning until 11 O'clock at night. We refuse to allow school students to play during school days until after school is out. We are actively involved in various community activities. We sponsor baseball teams, softball teams, basketball teams and we contribute to the football teams and make contributions when there are jam sessions that go on in the park down around 12th Street. We also stand to serve and work with this Commission in anyway possible to restore peace and tranquillity to the Overtown section. I, too will take the bus back with you, sir. r, Mr. Plummer: Henry, your credibility in this community is well-known. It is to me as it is to the public, when you say honestly and sincerely that you will try to do what you can, there is no question in my mind that you will. Is there anyone else that wishes to speak before we draw this to a conclusion? r Mr. Robert Spack: Yes, I... Unfortunately, Commissioner... Mr. Plummer: For the record your name and... Mr. Spack: My name is Robert Spack and I know Mr. Gibbins for quite awhile and I was rather disturbed by Councilman Dubbins who has already left, because of the fact I think he is trying to cloud the issue. He brings up that, that's Y a drup area. Well, I have seen the way busts have been made in White areas ' and they don't use quite so much violence in a drug bust generally. If they were going in there looking for drugs, which they are way off if that's where they are looking for it, but if that's what they are looking for there to go in and hassle some young children over the possibility ---may be he had a gun, may be he didn't, I don't know, I wasn't there, but I'm rather bothered by the fact that the question of drugs is being raised and it's a clouding of the issue. The issue here is that some lives have been--- either one or two lives have been lost over a situation that is not that far different than Liberty City a couple of years ago and I would hate to see this community go down the tubes again. There has been a lot of work done in Liberty City by the people of Liberty City. I don't think there has been that much done by the City and I think that if the City does not turn around and start working in both Liberty City and Overtown, that you are asking for problems from now until the end, whenever that may be. Because there is too, much needed and not enough people willing to give, and I think that's what needs to be done now, is people who are willing to give and I know I am. I work with an organization and we started the Liberty City Jaycees and they are working to help Liberty City, but I don't see the City employees working to improve the cities and that's what bothers me most and I think that's what your position should be, is what can we do to improve the situation, which is why City Manager, I, you know, appreciate your standpoint today, that you are looking at it from that light and it's the first light I have seen in that direction yet. I just wanted you to be aware of that and I don't want the issue clouded over drugs. I don't think that, that's the relevant point. Mr. Gary: Yes, as I stated earlier, the issue of whether or not drugs were sold in a place is not at issue right now. What is at issue is whether or not our police officers acted properly, ok. Were they justified in their actions, that is the issue. The color of the place, what's in the place is not the issue, ok. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Gary, J. L., the reason I'm here today, I'm asking you from the bottom of my heart and to have an investigation.... I'm suggesting to have a complete investigation of your police academy, of every officer that comes out and who is out here on the streets, because what is happening, most of them when they leave that academy, they are... their first assignment are sent to the Black community which they call the hot bed and the only thing that's on these young policemen minds is a gun and a uniform. Are you listening, sir? Ok. And I think the mentality of these men is racial bias. So, what I'm asking you to please, if that was a professional officer of the incident that happened last night, believe me a tragedy like that last night would never have happened. What I want to ask you now, is there any Black police officers patrolling the Latin community or the Anglo community at this moment? Mr. Gary: Yes, there are. There are. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Oh, there are, ok. Well, the reason I'm saying that is -I because we have been out there just as long as you all have been out there last night and we noticed that in the Liberty City area, especially this morning me and Representative Jeff Reeves, we noticed that... I'm not saying there was, - but we did not see not one White police officer in the Liberty City area this morning, not saying there isn't any. But therefore, Overtown area the ratio _ between Black, White and Latin exceeded way over the number of Blacks in that area. Now, you know and I know this is the second incident we are having in the last couple of months in which a Black has been shot and killed by a Latin officer and by a police officer. Now, there is one thing that needs to be done, the Police Department itself and the different departments of that department needs to be investigated, because there are games being played. We know that Ms. Reno, we know she tried to get the incident off her hands when the incident s went to the Grand Jury. In this case--- I'm not going to say anything about Mr. Harms, but we would like Mr. Harms to know, based on the evidence that you all ' have, based on the evidence thatwe and the citizens of this community have, we know that the way that this incident happened last night, it was not handled police, professionally, right. So, therefore, in the future, Mr. Gary, I suggest and plead with you to please see that we get more professional policemen on the roll and if they cannot meet that qualification they should not be on the force. Thank you. Mr. Gary: Thank you. This concludes.... Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Fauntroy. Mr. Ray Fauntroy: My name is Ray Fauntroy, I'm with the SCLC. We have been here before Mr. Gary and Commissioner Plummer and we come again, and we are concerned because we feel the voice of Authur MacDuffie still cries out for this 13 DECgl 2 91982 community to address itself to the real problems. The problems that are brought about, the riots and the deaths are problems that are still prevalent in our community. We feel that the failure of the police leadership at the command level and the proper training that was brought about before that we talked about to the governor's board on the riot investigation and were denied us the possibility of presenting our point of view regarding that issue, as a result we feel that the State Police is now in an organizational dismay and we ask publicly that the County Commission accept and hear our point of view and as a result the same condition that now confronts the City of Miami, Dade County finds itself in and we asked the State Attorney Janet Reno to permit us the right to present to the Grand Jury our point of view and the recommendations were denied and our right was denied to do that. It is therefore, abundantly clear to us that neither the Governor, the County Commission or the Miami Commission are capable at this time of adjusting the monumental problem of reorganizing and training that would be necessary to put an end to the problem of this periodic civil carnage. We at this time ask the last remaining body that stands above reproach in Dade County and that's the Grand Jury to convene itself, that they hear from us the truth as to why these conditions exist and for us to deliver to them our recommendation that would eliminate this consistent cause of complaint. These things that we have said and stated are all a matter of public record in dealing with the body politic. We stand and wait with the knowledge of truth for the purpose of serving the citizens of Dade County, the citizens of Miami in a troubled time when the nation points to us and we hope that we will be heard so that we can do the right thing and that we can change a system that is bound for self-destruction if we do not move quickly and move now. Thank you. Mr. Gary: This concludes the meeting. I would suggest that if anybody needs information they should call the office of Professional Compliance, 579-3388. In all due deference to the Executive Director of PUSH... Would you like to say something? Please. Mr. Bill Perry: Bill Perry 850 Northwest 7th Street Road, President of Operation PUSH. I strongly endorse the comments that were made by Ray Fauntroy and many of the other comments that were made. I seriously encourage you to get officers off the street in Overtown. Especially those that are riding streets with M-16 automatic rifles and shot guns hanging out of their windows. It does nothing but to provoke people in the community and add to the problem. In addition to that--- and you know I trust you wholeheartedly Brother Gary and I understand the position that you hold. I do have problems of--- and we all trust you, but we would like in the community to see an independent investigation. We would like to see someone called in from outside of the City's structure and City Government structure, outside of the police system, outside of the State Attorney's Office, because all of those institutions have failed us and I think that what is needed is an independent investigation to look into this matter, to question the officers, to question the people that were on site and to begin to explore this situation to get at the truth. It's not in any means to say that we don't believe that you will come up with the truth, but it's a matter of the kind of system that you work in it tends to occasionally, you know, distort the truth. So, if you will just... that's our number one priority in PUSH to get an independent investigation as to what occurred out there and to really get at the truth of the matter. Thank you, sir. Mr. Gary: Just in response Mr. Perry, first of all we have called the Department of Justice and F.B.I. and they are currently doing an investigation. Secondly, you know me, you say you trust me and you know that I will do the right thing, and I am sure, Mr. Perry, that if there is wrong doing nothing will be hidden and I will deal with it accordingly. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Before you go, I got another point I would like to ask you. Alright, in this Overtown right... Mr. Gary: Look, I'm giving you two minutes and that's it. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I don't need but a couple of seconds, a minute. Yes. Oh, but listen, I would appreciate if you would please go ahead now and demand that those policemen please move off the streets, because we don't want violence now, because... Mr. Gary: I have... for your information, fifteen minutes ago I gave the order, ten minutes ago all the police officers have been removed from within gl 14 DEC 29 1982 ... _ _. ..... -.. :;., _ N rY the heart of Overtown and police officers are only on a peripheral area for the security of other citizens that may come around that area. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Alright, one other point. Just like when I was down there to the Police Department at that meeting last night, you got one of them that was running his little threats. Mr. Gary: I took the name and I told you that I was going to deal with that. Thank you, the meeting is concluded. The press conference was adjourned at 12:40 p.m. MATTY HIRAI Assistant City Clerk gl. DEC 29 19$2