Saturday, June 10, 2017

CITY MANAGER BRUCE MOORE REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR DEFAMING EMAIL AND REMARKS ABOUT WELL-KNOWN MINISTER AND ACTIVIST

On March 17th, City Manager Bruce Moore sent out an email that was damaging to the reputation of the Rev. Benny Johnson, founder and director of Arkansas Stop the Violence.



 


Rev. Johnson had addressed the Little Rock Board of Directors during the May 16th meeting. a meeting from which Moore was absent, and introduced an anonymous letter that listed several concerns about LRPD and Chief Kenton Buckner.


Here is the video we posted in our May 22nd post:
 


Moore had received the erroneous and defaming information from City Attorney Tom Carpenter.

We posted about this and included a video of Rev. Johnson's remarks in this post:

http://badlittlerock.blogspot.com/2017/05/city-manager-and-city-attorney-defame.html 

Then Moore spoke to the Little Rock Black Police Officers Association ("LRBPA") and made the same defaming statement that Rev. Johnson had made a false statement. 

Basically, Moore called Rev. Johnson a liar. And his actions of spreading false and defaming information expose him and possibly the city attorney to another settlement. 



WILL THE CITY HAVE TO WRITE A CHECK TO REV. JOHNSON?





It turns out that the LRBPA had received the same anonymous letter that Rev. Johnson had and they had given a copy to Chief Buckner and to Moore at least a month before Rev. Johnson provided it to board members on May 16th.

Rev. Johnson had a single copy of the letter and the city clerk took it, made copies and gave one to each board member at the May 16th meeting. Was Moore provided a copy of the letter already in his possession?

In fact, this anonymous letter had been making the rounds as far back as March.

It was posted on the blog, Corruption Sucks.

THE POSTMARK ON THE ENVELOPE IS DATED MARCH 2, 2017 - FROM CORRUPTION SUCKS BLOG

City Attorney Tom Carpenter admitted that he passed erroneous information to Moore regarding what Rev. Johnson had said at the May 16th board meeting.




At the June 6th board meeting, the publisher of this blog addressed the board during the Citizens Communication segment. He spoke about the illegal practice of the Little Rock Police Department not issuing tickets to police officers and especially to Chief Buckner in two recent incidents. He also stated that the city attorney and city manager owed a public apology to Rev. Johnson for their false and defaming statements about him. 

Neither the city attorney or city manager made any comments.

Buckner was involved in two traffic accidents, both his fault, and he did not receive a ticket for either accident.

CLICK TO VIEW LRPD INCIDENT REPORTS ON BUCKNER ACCIDENTS

LRPD FOI Officer Jonathan Prater stated that LRPD does not issue tickets to any law enforcement officer as a result of an accident.  



Then Rev. Johnson addressed the board about the defaming email and remarks City Manager Bruce Moore had made at a March meeting of the LRBPA.





City Manger Moore sat glaring at Rev. Johnson with his arms crossed. When Rev. Johnson's time slot ended, he went back to his seat.  Moore can been seen in the video turning toward Rev. Johnson and making comments.  Moore can be seen in the video getting up and heading towards Rev. Johnson.  All the time Rev. Johnson can be heard saying "he is harassing me".

Tom Carpenter, the city attorney stated that he had issued an apology to Rev. Johnson and did so again.  City Manager Bruce Moore said nothing.

We have been trying to get answers from Mayor Stodola, City Manager Bruce Moore, City Attorney Tom Carpenter and Chief Buckner since March about Chief Bucker and the accidents and they have yet to provide any documents that provide exemptions for officers to not issue tickets in accident to law enforcement officers or a response about the illegal practice.


Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-51-305 is clear about following a vehicle too closely.





Little Rock Municipal Ordinance 32-36 states that LRPD officers are to enforce municipal and state laws.

 
Back in 2014, several months after Buckner was hired as Chief of Police, LRPD
cracked down on individuals following too close behind another vehicle citing that was a particular cause of accidents:



Things at City Hall and the Police Department stink of corruption and mismanagement.



Changes are needed in the city government and they start at the top with the Mayor, City Manager, City Attorney and Chief of Police.


*****
Watch a video of a 2015 Board of Director's meeting in which Buckner claims no other police chief has done more than he has during his first year.

City Director Bruce Moore has to step in and rein Buckner back in before board members verbally tear him apart.