And we also had another issue with the Goodin case. The Commissioner said the Deputy Mayor was detained for 36 hours, but our information suggests he was only really detained for 6 hours.
We challenged the commissioner on that today:
Jules Vasquez
"Why would you have knowingly misrepresented the time he spent detained. i know he was detained for 6-8 hours, because he called me after 6 hours. I know a detained person can't use their phone. He got my text as well and I am told that he was release. Why would you have misrepresented and said he was detained for 36 hours?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I listened to your newscast last night and let me say I was pretty much disturbed by it, because isn't it a part of what we do, it is not law, but some people believe that it's a constitutional right to a phone call when in police custody and so many of times when we do have prisoners, if they have a phone that have credit and they can make that call for themselves then we would allow them to use their phone to make that call or send a text and so to have a person in custody calling or sending a text is not really unusual. When those messages were sent to you, Micah Goodin was still in police custody, because I also got a call from him and I told him that I am not going to interfere in the work of the police. The police must do what needs to be done and until the officers are clear in terms of him not being involved, he will remain in custody until then."
"If one of the shells would have been fired by his weapon then he will be charged, but at this time we do not have that."
Jules Vasquez
"Okay, I hear that, but I find it unbelievable that you are now saying detained persons are entitled to a call. He made at least more than one call. I am sure his only call wasn't to me. I am sure I'm his last priority, I would hope so. But my point is sir, that this is untrue. I know detained people they are not allowed access to their phone. He calls me on his phone."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Thats not true. It does happen at times. I have no reason to lie to you and certainly I would agree with you that he was given too much latitude. You want to make a call; you should make 1-2 calls and that's it. Based on what you are saying he was given many phone calls. I was not at the station; I was not the one to told the police to give him so much phone calls. The police officers at the station know what the rules are and they ought to have limited him to the amount of calls that he could have made. So, that's not a matter for me."
Jules Vasquez
"But this is all appease of receiving special political treatment?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I don't know if it has to do with that. I cannot say."
Jules Vasquez
"Is he such a charming fellow?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"When the thing happened, I spoke to the mayor."
And that's not all from city hall tonight, later on, We'll tell you about reports of a fat contract they city has allegedly awarded to a company owned by a councilor's family.
