SOMERVILLE POLICE CHIEF, CITY ADMINISTRATOR REJECT CALLS FROM MAYOR TO RESIGN
The Somerville Police Chief and City Administrator will not resign despite calls from the mayor to do so, after the city rejected the rehiring of an officer involved in a controversial death in 2017.
Mayor Micheal Bradford told KWHI that both Police Chief Craig Wise and City Administrator Danny Segundo have refused to step down from their positions. Bradford publicly called for their resignations Tuesday, saying the two were responsible for placing the agenda item to rehire Chauna Thompson, now known as Chauna Sheffield, before the Somerville City Council.
Sheffield, a former Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy, along with her husband at the time, Terry Thompson, were indicted on murder charges in the death of John Hernandez at a Houston-area Denny’s restaurant. Thompson was seen on video putting Hernandez into a choke-hold while Sheffield helped restrain him. Sheffield did begin CPR on Hernandez when she found he was not breathing, but he died after the incident.
Sheffield, who was off-duty at the time, was fired from her job, but the charges against her were later dropped. Her husband was convicted on a murder charge and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The council voted Tuesday to not allow Wise to make an offer to re-hire Sheffield, who previously served about five months with the police department but was fired roughly six months ago. The decision to fire her came after the mayor and others in the community found out about her past.
Bradford said Tuesday that if Wise and Segundo would not step down, he would call a special meeting this upcoming Tuesday to have the council vote on their positions.
Mayor needs to resign for always trying to stir things up and split the town apart. There was no “meeting to vote” as the former officer had already called and said she wasn’t interested du we to the backlash WELL BEFORE the protest. The mayor and his wife both knew but didn’t tell the public that part. Seems like they are trying to have no cops or chief so the kids there a one e disciplined for speeding, drug use, etc.
I’m not clear on this:
She worked for the city for five months but then was fired for something in her past, that they should’ve or probably did know about before she was hired? And now the mayor wants to blame the Chief and City Administrator? Shouldn’t the mayor have some blame on this, too? Is he trying to tell us that he didn’t know she was working there and is not responsible? Gimme a break. He knew exactly what was going on and is now going to try to throw everyone else under the bus to save himself. What a joke.
I think the mayor should resign. He does not know what is going on in his town till six months later. He also wants the two hardest working city employees to step down that have kept this issue transparent for the people. The mayor Michael bradford is just trying to help his re election.
I worry that mr. bradford is going to get the city involved in some lawsuits we cannot afford.
Terminating people who did nothing wrong? This guy needs to turn his focus to citizen concerns: like streets. Let the city administrator and the chief do their jobs and quit grandstanding!