As a member and leadership of City Council, I have reached the conclusion that Chief Bolin’s actions or lack of proper investigatory procedures has dealt serious consequences to the taxpayers’ of our community.  Not only the tort claim issue and legal expense associated with the court action but a more hideous aspect, now the world knows that our City must totally disregard the civil rights of individuals, their inherit rights under the 4th amendment and knowing that one can’t live peacefully in their homes without the treat of undo and irresponsible actions of their police department, especially the elderly . . my Lord, Ms Milan is an elderly lady and the child was of tender years . .the two sectors of our society that depends on law enforcement to provide and defend their rights and safety, but as the Seventh Circuit clearly demonstrated in their review, our EPD failed miserably.  I have reviewed the video tape not only the immediate action of our EPD but the preamble to the event which confounds understanding . . the moments just prior to the invasion, the participates appear to be in a festive mood which is concerning and troubling.  Why are they festive? Well, the culture of festivity must  lay on the threshold of our leadership which is Chief Bolin and ultimately our Mayor.
Consequently, in order to restore faith and confidence in our police department and support the rank and file, Chief Bolin must step down immediately and if our Mayor refuses to ask for his resignation, this is paramount of condoning the lack of leadership of Chief Bolin . . .this is regrettable but necessary to restore the confidence that our EPF once processed.
John E. Friend
VP of the Common Council of Evansville, IN
Mr. Friend, I believe you and a few other councilmen have proven yourselves to be ineffective in your positions. Perhaps you guys should resign as well.
Hopefully this wasn’t Mr. Friend’s final draft. Yikes!
I think he has gone totally overboard on this one.
No, maybe the EPD leadership has missed the mark . . .according to the US Seventh Circuit . . . what a RED NECK!!
I guess you didn’t get the joke.
I support Mr Bolin. A police agency does get sued. Thats a fact. The city of Evansville gets sued alot!. The two citizens were not injured. They were not thrown to the ground. They were not cursed at or belittled.
Mr Friend during your tenure as President of City Council how many times was the city sued. Did you or the council change or fire employees that caused the suit? Did you personally apologize to any citizen on behalf of the city council because of the lawsuit?
The city does pay for their mistakes but they have attorneys that do fight in court also. How does Evansville compare to other cities their size?
Mr Friend have you ever been sued ? Or have you sued anyone? What was the outcome? Since you are a public official I would like to know!!
You serious minimize the situation. So would you be OK with SWAT flashbanging into your home, scaring the crap out of your grandma and child, and perp walking you, handcuffed in front of the neighbors. Tell me you would be perfectly content about that situation, especially after it’s revealed that the police botched the whole “investigation” with Keystone Kops-style stupidness. This is waaayy bigger than a small, minor thing. And all the lawsuits? That’s serious money we pay out for this idiocy. Let the Chief pay Ms. Milan out of his own pocket.
Don’t waste your time on this simpleton . . . he probably has a confederate license plate on the front of his 78 Chevy pick up and of course the rifle in the back window . . . and when he gets around to reading the findings,, if he can read, he will see that one judge actually stated that every one of the SWAT guys were white and the two victims were black . . . no foolin, the judge actually puts that in writing . . . probably no coincidence that Bolin comes from the South . . .
@pogo possum:
Have your read the 7th Circuit’s analysis of this case ? Bolin is so far off the reservation on this one, that any Mayor of a city who would tolerate such actions should also be asked to resign if they are not taking the lead to get fresh leadership. Line in sand: Winnecke needs to be removed if he doesn’t fire the GED leader.
“The city does pay for their mistakes but they have attorneys that do fight in court also”. So to your way of thinking, incompetence is fine, we have lawyers to try to minimize the damage award ? Really ?
Anyone who has read the Court’s analysis of the actions of EPD in the Milan case and isn’t asking that the Chief be replaced is no more than a lackey to the Mayor. A competent Mayor would have fired Bolin immediately after viewing the horrendous video.
I was thinking the same thing. In the business world a middle manager who intwines the corporation in a lawsuit would be exercising other options for employment. In the words of the next POTUS, “you’re fired!” 🙂
As one of the Judges said, ” there is concern about the race relation in Evansville . . . do you want another Ferguson, Baltimore, etc. . . sure wonder how economic development is proceeding in Ferguson? By doing nothing after the United States Seventh Circuit Court, one step from the Supreme Court says Bolin miserably missed the standards and you believe that Winnecke should give him a metal . . that, my friend is nitwittery . . .
Mr. Friend. You are a train wreck. Do you have any idea what police go through everyday? It is foolish to have someone from the council “Monday Morning Quarterback” the decisions of the police department when you have no idea what is done on a daily basis. You have let politics interfere with almost everything that you do…….and the people are tired of it. We are tired of you, Mr. Friend.
So, lets take a look at your argument. I guess the next time someone has a wreck on a snow covered road we should fire the city garage superintendent. The next time a water line breaks we should fire the maintenance director. Mr. Friend, there would be nobody left.
Mayor Winnecke. Don’t listen to this buffoon. Bolin is doing a great job and this is pure politics towards you, not Bolin. Mr. Friend, I am asking you to step down. You do not have the best interest of the city at heart.
Yes it’s true the police have to deal with ugly mean people. What’s that got to do with what happened on the day of the “raid”? What’s it got to do with Bolin’s lousy administrative oversight?
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo
I thought the same as you but I noticed that Friend never criticized the rank and file but the leadership at the top . . .to sit back and say that Bolin’s actions with Milan and her granddaughter was somehow justified place you in the category of a lagger head . . . if you don’t think corporate American doesn’t look at Cities who find themselves in these situation, you are a fool . . . do you think that the average law officer feels gratified when one of the top three appeals court judges in the land refers to the EPD as the Keystone Kops . . . by not dismissing Bolin for his lack of experience and judgement is a front against the rank and files . . .that simple!!!
Obvious you are too stupid to read the findings of the Seventh Circuit . . .it is people like you that holds this city back . . . the outside world looks at us as though we must be located in Mississippi . . .what foolishness and you wonder why this town lags behind in the statewide and national per capital income . . .
Read the court’s decision and you will see how wrong you are in all of this. I am amazed at the stupidity of the “arguments” presented here by the Winnecke backers.
Sounds Like Friend, Billy, and SBR need to “hug” it out.
Perhaps . . . but no matter the number of hugs the facts still remains that Evansville is now in the category of RED NECK cities. Wonder how those Winnecke backers would feel if their daughter had to negotiate a flashbomb grenade?
EPD while not perfect does a great job but for the Chief to be asked to resign by a drunk boat captain and someone who has threatened several people bodily harm what a joke. Hang in there Chief don’t let them rattle your cage. If the people of Evansville want you replaced they will change Mayor’s.
I propose that Mr. Friend, SBR and Ms. Riecken call on Weaver to resign!
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