The Piercing Truth

This is right from the dictionary and seems to describe Albuquerque, Berry and Schultz. Fascism (f ash ,izem) noun An authoritarian right wing system of government and/or social organization. (in general use) extreme right wing, authoritarian, chauvinistic and/or intolerant views or practices. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one group over another, national, ethnic, especially social strata or monetarily; a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach. Compliments of one of our Eyes

Mar 15, 2013

SCHULTZ AND BERRY; TO BE FOUND GUILTY

With the wrongful death trial involving APD officers Brett Lampiris-Tremba and Byron Economidy in the hands of the jury, let’s reflect upon the event in the greater scheme of things. This is not just a trial involving two officers and the shooting death of Kenneth Ellis, III, it is a trial of the Albuquerque Police Department under the leadership of its chief, Ray Shultz, and the management of the city’s mayor RJ Berry (we’re not sure where he is or if he’s available, but he is still the mayor we are told).

With the shooting death of Mr. Ellis in January of 2010, the year marked the greatest number of shootings by APD personnel in the department’s history. During a time when the department and FBI’s own statistics showed violence crimes and assaults against officers were falling to record lows.  Just a note to those who follow the UCR (Uniformed Crime Report) from APD; our Eyes inside tell us the report is ready but Schultz and Berry have ordered PD personnel NOT to release it yet.  Apparently it is bad new for Berry and they need time to spin it or alter the numbers...

During this trial, which marks the first of many wrongful death suits coming to trial, the chief of APD was nowhere to be found. With the exception for about the one hour where his officers Lampiris and Economidy testified and exposed themselves to federal civil rights crimes, Schultz was nowhere to be seen. Even his usually active Twitter propaganda account was silent.

Yet, this was the case where Schultz lobbied to overturn former IRO Judge Deaton’s finding that the shooting was unjustified.
 
Yet this is the trial that DOJ lawyers present in the courtroom.
 
Yet this was the case where the Albuquerque Journal’s Jeff Proctor Tweeted updates on testimony by the minute in unprecedented fashion.
 
Yet this is one of the very few wrongful death trials where the officer’s action was deemed unconstitutional in pre-trial motions.
 
And yet this is the trial where the damages are now left to the jury and may reach unprecedented amounts of millions of taxpayer dollars.  Which may lead to a string of such judgments that may force the City of Albuquerque into bankruptcy.

While all this is going on, Ray Schultz continues his track of leaderless occupation of chief of the state’s largest and most heavily funded, and now understaffed, police force. And as the nation once again finds out more details in APD’s gross negligence (and most likely intentional negligence) in the handling of Ms. Mary Han’s crime scene, Ray Schultz remains in hiding.

But now, APD is tarnished by this chief who endorses lies while the plaintiffs have told and proved truths. Where officers who lie and commit crimes taint the honorable efforts of all other officers. Where at least two city counselors, including the city council president, are calling for Ray Schultz’s much deserved removal. And where once again, with the actions of 12 jurors, citizens will police the police.

Our eyes tell us that Ray Schultz will not leave without a fight and has already retained a personal lawyer. Our eyes also tell us that despite this, and despite Mayor Berry’s total absence and “unavailable for comment” policy when confronted with any significant city event, Ray Schultz is on his way out. Which begs us to ask, who’s next?

Our Eyes tell us the answer is quite simple. Former APD captain Larry Sonntag. This does not surprise us at all and some information forwarded to us, tells us that Mr. Sonntag is the sort of business person hyper-conservative RJ Berry would like:

•Director of NM Business Coalition. Self-described as “a true grassroots operation that will educate individual voters about the candidates and issues in their district and motivate them to take that knowledge to the polls and vote. We should promote the growth of our private sector and stop demonizing the corporations and industries that are key drivers of a healthy U.S. Economy.”

•Vice President of SEI, Consulting & Management...unknown what this entity does.

•Vice president and chief of operations of Armed Response Team....former company owned by convicted fraudster and retired APD sergeant Fil Baca.
NOTE: Armed Response Team makes all their money off of responding to buglar alarms that APD does not.  Conflict of interest?  You tell us...

•Vice President of Sonntag Enterprises, Inc...unknown what the entity does.

•Director of Rebound New Mexico...a non profit tax shelter

It’s clear that Mr. Sonntag has many business interests that he will have to table if he were to become chief. We also were unable to confirm if his law enforcement certification is still valid. But his career as a police officer is less than diverse as his business interests…

•5 months out of the academy he went to APD Hit & Run and was inside ever since until his retirement. He was one of the first appointed captains under Martin Chavez.
•He wrote a memo to then Chief Gilbert Gallegos asserting failures in the evidence room scandal. Chavez promoted him to Captain in an effort to restore confidence in the mayor's handling of the mess. Schultz was his boss at the time.... Sonntag is viewed to have been the man to make the evidence mess go away and do damage control.
 
Mayoral Candidate Paul Heh stand firmly with the  two city counselors, including the city council president, whom are calling for Ray Schultz’s removal.  Heh stated to the Eye On Albuquerque, "the corruption in APD started with a chief who is out of control and has lied to all of us; chop off the head of the snake and this corruption will stop!"

Will this be a case of “the chief is dead, long live the chief?” We shall see….

UP-DATE, 15, MARCH 13 @ 1640 HRS: SCHULTZ LETTER
 

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

chop off the head of a snake you get a headless snake.

A snake is a snake is a snake.

Anonymous said...

So the Cockroach sweeping begins, even if it is one by one!

Anonymous said...

And now it's been announced that he's "retiring"... Hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

He retired today? It is about effing time.

Anonymous said...

KKOB just broke it.. Schultz is retiring... The show host read some of the retirement letter. Just loved how it started off with.. As I had stated in a meeting last year I am planning on retiring "sometime" in early or later in 2013.. In other words.... Let me see how things (DOJ, Ellis trial, all the other crap) is going before I decide.. If things look good I will stay if not so good I will retire.. GEEEEEEEEEEEZ.. Thank you to the City Council members that had a SET to light the match that is going to burn the 5th floor down...

Stealth said...

JURY AWARD: TEN MILLION DOLLARS!

SCHLUTZ' RESIGNED IN DISGRACE!

FOLKS; THE EYE ON ALBUQUERQUE HAS BEEN TEELING YOU ABOUT THIS SCHULTZ FOR YEARS! NOW IT'S GOING TO COST US ALL, TEN MILLION DOLLARS...THIS IS THE FIRST IN A STRING OF BIG DOLLAR SETTLEMENTS. WE NEED TO RID OUR CITY OF BERRY AND PERRY NOW!!!

Anonymous said...

Read the letter folks, Schultz is not going anywhere. He says maybe he will leave in late summer or early fall.

News flash, it is still winter time. This letter is just Berry Schultz spin and the public needs to be sick of it.

Anonymous said...

Eye,
Thank you for all the hard work you have done. You have pulled the slugs from their shells and poured salt on them. They are now finished. Without a voice like the eye, and those who have done the right thing and stepped up to the plate, most of the facts and information would not be public. You have provided an invaluable service in ridding the place of this scum. You have effectively smashed these creeps with the truth!
Thank You!

Anonymous said...

How come TJ and the RTCC didn't see this shit coming!? Get back to basic policing. Get back to the streets. If you're chickenshit to work the street and get ur hands dirty and smell of sweat then you aint a cop so please leave.

Anonymous said...

To spend time with his family??? Maybe the family dog, didn't his wife leave him or kick him out of the house??? Will his PSA daughter stay on with APD??? Like the letter said he plans on retiring it might just be a ploy to get the media off his ass about the city council dudes... I won;t believe it until I know longer see his name on department letter head...

Anonymous said...

@ 4:35 you are so right. Get back to basic police work. APD is to specialized. The community policing was just a catch phrase for extra federal money. Basic police work will get you far.

I also agree about Schultz letter and the timing. But after Ellis settlement his retirement may come a little sooner.

Anonymous said...

Hey Schultz I am pretty sure you have no leadership skills to pass on to the temp chief. I am positive that the DOJ don't need your assistance. Don't forget you are the reason they are here.

Anonymous said...

Freezeframe you should learn about punitive damages on this trial. Better see about some insurance.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Rio Arriba county looking for a Deputy? Send your app. ray-ray!!!

Anonymous said...

No one appointed to Commander of DC under Schultz should be considered for chief. They are all tainted by the Schultz and can never restore faith to the officers of the community.

Anonymous said...

You are right. The entire command staff needs to be wiped. Leave one root in and the fucking weed will grow back.

I said shit was coming many months ago, and some asshole replied to me that they have been hearing people say that here for so long that I was full of shit. Well, guess what asshole? And today was only the beginning. In a few months, with the following lawsuits, the 5th floor, along with this corrupt administration are going to look like a hollow burnt out wreckage that hit the ground like an asteroid from the planet Criminoid.

Anonymous said...

To the Ellis family : "congratulations " is an inappropriate word to use in this scenario, in that you lost someone you loved in order to gain this success. But in any event I applaud you for standing up for the rights of your beloved son, a veteran who came back from war as damaged goods, as so many young men and women do. I thank you for being a conduit in bringing about needed changes to APD and The City of Albuquerque. I also want to tell you to take this opportunity to continue on this path, don't stop now. Start an organization of watchdog citizenry to carry on your work of holding police accountable for their actions. Finally, your son did not die for nothing ....his death was for a reason. The reason being to change APD forever. Perhaps being an Iraq war veteran is not his only legacy-and your purpose is to carry this forward for him.

Anonymous said...

The Abq Journal wrote that the Ellis family offered to settle before trial for $1.3 million and mandatory CIT training. Levy said no.

Anonymous said...

I actually feel kind of sorry for Mr.BL-T. I figure he's the example being held to 2.5 mill in punies, but he is another cop victimized by APD 's poor leadership and bad training. He isn't a victim in the true sense of the word but he's also been sold a hill of goods by his own.

Anonymous said...

@9:28. Levy can't say no. Her boss can. So who is her boss? Is it Ray Schultz? I doubt it because he wrote an intent to resign letter which reads like a "dear diary" entry. He wrote it to Rob Perry even though all city councilors say Ray is part of the Mayor's administration. So, I expect that Levy's boss is Perry and he turned down the offer. The Journal also said that Perry made a reasonable settlement offer.

Bottom line - get rid of Perry and his employee, Kathryn Levy for this Ellis trial and verdict. Get a date for Ray's official retirement, too.

What a mess.

Anonymous said...

Brett should sue the city for the 2.7 mill. He's got nothing to lose at this point. You all know him as the media and administration paint him. Others think he's a good neighbor, father and husband. He got in a bad situation and was left behind by his bosses to twist in the wind. I also believe he did the best he could as the situation dictated. Sad for him and his family also. His wife and kids deserve better than for the media and admin. To villify him in public. He's not a robot, no cop is. I think he deserved better representation than he got.

Anonymous said...

Brett is in so much fuck'n trouble his lawyer should be trouble with him. Way to expose the guy to federal charges Levy and Mowrer.

Anonymous said...

@7:11 - Levy should have arranged for separate representation once the judge decided the excessive force issue. Then she should have arranged for a day to get him separate counsel when the judge found that the city was not negligent in training him. But that would involve ethics and she doesn't have any. But Bret can and should sue her for not representing his interests. So should Economidy.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to say that I have to disagree with Brett's charactor. He should never have been a cop and he proved that throughout his career. He should have been fired for tazing that dude on a traffic stop. So he did not notify his Sgt, he did not call rescue or an FI. So he pulls out the darts, and says he had him sign his ticket because he was in a hurry......When questioned on the stand he says he had a "brain fart". Are you fukin kidding me????? That is malfeasance and criminal behavior and should have been prosecuted and fired. Dude is 10-40 as the day is long and will now be promoted to Sgt. Ray and Berry own this as well as all the other incidents. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Anonymous said...

Let's not give Sonntag a pass here. As a Chief??? Bhagahahahahahahaha. Larry please go back to you tea party meeting. Please leave!!!

Anonymous said...

Sontag was here back in the 90's when we had record shootings too!!! Also record lawsuits cause of K9 attacks & beatings by officers. Everyone seems to forget that Chavez term. Bring him aboard! History does indeed repeat itself! :-)

Anonymous said...

@10:36. woowie! if Kathryn suggested or instructed or allowed B L-T to lie on the stand about the step that Ken took towards officers, then she is in a whole lotta trouble if Judge Bacon wants to go after her for condoning perjury.

Anonymous said...

@ 8:54 am you are so right. Sontag has absolutely no experience and is an administration person only. He doesn't understand police work. If we want change gotta vote Berry out.

Anonymous said...

Funny my post wasn't put up. Afraid of the truth???

Stealth said...

Now you can follow The Eye On Albuquerque on Tweeter!

Twitter.com/theEyeonAbq