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Posted on 03/31/2005 7:58:51 AM PST by SmithL
Although the fajita fight criminal case fizzled out this week with the acquittal of a former San Francisco police officer on assault and battery charges, the scandal spawned by the case had a major impact on the city's Police Department, a San Francisco police commissioner said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a Sacramento jury acquitted former Officer Alex Fagan Jr., 25, of felony charges stemming from a street brawl in November 2002 in which Fagan and two other off-duty police allegedly attacked two civilians over a take-home bag of fajitas.
Last November, San Francisco police Officer Matthew Tonsing, 29, and former Officer David Lee, 25, were acquitted of similar charges after a San Francisco trial.
Fagan, Tonsing and Lee were the only defendants who actually went to trial in the case, which at one time saw a total of 10 officers indicted by a San Francisco grand jury on charges ranging from assault and battery to conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Among those indicted were former Chief of Police Earl Sanders, Assistant Chief Alex Fagan Sr. and five other members of the police brass who were accused of conspiring to block the investigation into the incident.
Police Commissioner Peter Keane said Wednesday night that the scandal had helped transform the San Francisco Police Department in many ways.
"The acquittal (of Fagan Jr.) was almost irrelevant in terms of the real overall impact of Fajitagate," said Keane, a 20-year veteran of the San Francisco public defender's office who now teaches law at Golden Gate University. "Because of Fajitagate, there has been a sea change in the command structure of the department and a general shift ... to a much more diverse, much more professional command structure that is not as macho . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Of course they don't want macho, that is unless you are talking about the female officers, them males should be effeminate.
Now all we need is more sensitive and more effeminate criminals...
SF Ping
Unlike the Atlanta Deputy who let her gun get taken away.
haha........all the SF cops I know and work out with at the gym are pretty damned macho guys........they don't epitomize the jackasses at the civic center.......
Is that before you hit the sauna for some "tea bagging?"
You've gotten a false impression. I saw plenty of SFPD's finest during the anti-war protests - big, tough white guys doing the bulk of the real work. But when it comes to TV shows or public relations, the Department hauls out the Queer Brigades to be its public face.
....never thought of that, but, even the police chief on the program was a girly man. Hope you are right!!
that is pretty sick ya know......most people may not know what you mean by that, but it is totally insulting to refer to them or me as gay cause they work in SF..........you must have latent homo tendencies which you deflect by name calling and rude BS..........too bad
" but it is totally insulting to refer to them or me as gay cause they work in SF.."
Know what you mean.....sure wish we could make others on this site realize that there are PLENTY of nice, conservative people here who go to work, have families and raise our kids here. Have we been somewhat hijacked by some wacko wierdos who run our city government, yes, but please don't lump us all in with those crazy libs. It isn't easy, but there are quite a few of us Conservative Republicans trying to hold down the fort! How about a little support instead of taking easy potshots!!
As for our Police, I used to work in a cop shop, and the majority of the cops are just regular guys trying to make a living. Things aren't easy for them, but the majority are still considered San Francisco's Finest. They take a lot of flak, and have to try everyday to live down the "San Francisco Rep" but they do a pretty good job.
yes......thank you my dear.......idiots due abound here sometimes......are you right in SF?.......I"m across the bay in Contra Costa County.....love going to the city, some FReepers don't realize it is still a great place to hang, mellow out, or go wild.......
Lived in SF my whole life (born & raised). Moved to San Mateo County to raise my kids, who then all moved to SF (where they had come for high school, went away for College & moved to SF after). The hubby & I are now in the process of getting our house ready to sell so we can move back to The City. I can't wait. We spend most of our time here anyway (I work in SF). I love San Francisco, and refuse to relinquish it to the loonies!! You're right, it's a great place to hang, mellow out & go crazy!! Hopefully you have time to see some of the neat neighborhoods. One kid lives in the Marina, one in Noe Valley and one in West Portal. All have cool parts! We're still deciding where (and where we can afford) to settle.
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