A string of tragic and fatal encounters have occurred between cops and communities these past few months. Instead of working to find real results, violent agitators have made matters worse by staging protests, riots, and ambushes. Over the weekend, an assailant shot two Los Angeles deputies in Compton, a 31-year-old mother and a 24-year-old male deputy, at point blank range while they were sitting in their cop car.
Moments ago, 2 of our Sheriff Deputies were shot in Compton and were transported to a local hospital. They are both still fighting for their lives, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We will update this thread with information as it becomes available.
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 13, 2020
That takes us to this callous Instagram post from Jose Ometeotl, the city manager of Lynwood, CA. Using a meme of Malcolm X with the quote, "chickens come home to roost," Ometeotl suggested that the cops had it coming.
NEW: Jose Ometeotl, the city manager of Lynwood, posted on his Instagram that “Chickens come home to roost” following the ambush shooting of two LASD deputies in Compton. One is a 31 y/o mom of a young boy, the other is a 24 year old male deputy, both very new. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/CpMmmEZp5z
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 13, 2020
Ometeotl made his account private once the backlash began, but the screenshots remain. In his message accompanying the photograph, he offers a tepid denouncement of the weekend's violence, and then spends the rest of the time repudiating the police force.
"The shooting of anyone is a wholly unacceptable," he writes. "I do not condone the type of violence seen in the shooting of the deputies yesterday in Compton. I will say that communities like Compton have been plagued by deputy gangs that inflict fear and violence in the community. These deputies murdered, framed and stole from the community just because they could. Good deputies never turned on bad deputies for fear of retaliation and when caught most of these bad deputies kept their jobs and continued on their criminal career. The fact that someone randomly opened fire on deputies is to be expected in the society we live in today. The political climate and leadership of Sheriff Villaneuva has only sown the seeds of anger and frustration in the community. I pray for the deputies and their families while still demanding justice for Andres Guardado, Breona Taylor, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery..."
The Lynwood City Council tried to distance themselves from Ometeotl's message with an apology.
NEW: The city of Lynwood has responded to their city manager’s public Instagram post that said “Chickens come home to roost” after the ambush of two LASD deputies. The city council says Jose Ometeotl’s comments were his personal opinion & do not reflect the city’s position @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/g3jxYuCvRl
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 14, 2020
"That was a cowardly act," Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. "The two deputies were doing their job, minding their own business, watching out for the safety of the people on the train. To see somebody just walk up and start shooting on them. It pisses me off. It dismays me at the same time. There's no pretty way to say it."
Other groups took the right approach. The FBI Agents Association President Brian O’Hare was pained to see police officers targeted.
“Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day in the service of their fellow Americans," O'Hare wrote in a statement on Monday. "The ambush shooting of two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies over the weekend is a tragic reminder that, as part of their jobs, these brave men and women assume great risk to themselves and great sacrifice to their families. The FBI Agents Association stands with these courageous deputies, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and with their families.
"This horrific shooting occurred while these deputies were doing their jobs to protect the public.The FBIAA hopes that all Americans will join us in condemning this abhorrent act of violence.
"FBI Special Agents work closely with local law enforcement officers on a daily basis as part of our joint mission to protect the public from criminal and terrorist threats. Law enforcement officers and the communities we protect are inseparable. United we stand, divided we fall.”
Change.org has started a petition demanding Ometeotl resign.
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