By:  Diane Benjamin

What kind of Police Officer makes a statement like “I hope he bleeds to death” when commenting on a stabbing victim?

City Manager David Hales says it’s a personnel issue and disciplinary action was “serious”.

Do you know ANYBODY who would say the same thing of an injured person?  The Bloomington Police Facebook page is headed: “To Protect and to Serve”.   The comments by the officer violate every tenet of  just, fair, and rational policing.

I wonder if Al Sharpton and Eric Holder have been called yet.  Ferguson was a joke, but here proof of actual civil rights violations.  The color of the stabbing victim is immaterial to the City’s handling of the problem.  If the duty of the police is to protect and serve, then ALL lives matter.  Officers have no right to pick who lives and who dies!

David Hales did not inform the City Council of this incident.  Hales allowed the trial of Gabriella Calhoun to take place and never mentioned that prosecutors might have a problem?  Did he really think the officer’s comments wouldn’t be used in her defense?  Here’s the story I did at the time, the comments weren’t public yet:

http://blnnews.com/2013/07/09/bloomington-police-bullies-racist-or-can-they-explain/

The Police Chief was R.T. Finney – a Hales appointee.  Finney was an interim appointment.  Instead of promoting from within, Hales hired a search firm for $12,000 to find him.  Evidently Hales didn’t care about his previous issues in Champaign, also involving a black youth – this time killed by police.  See what the Pantagraph reported at the time and then compare it to a report by somebody who actually investigates:

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/bloomington-hires-new-interim-police-chief/article_bd39539c-97ed-11e2-81f2-0019bb2963f4.html

http://justblono.org/2013/03/31/serious-questions-raised-by-bloomingtons-choice-for-new-interim-police-chief/

David Hales then searched for a permanent Police Chief.  Once again, promoting from within isn’t nearly as fun as a nationwide search.  I did this story about one of the candidates Hales brought here for an interview (expenses paid for by YOU), obviously credibility isn’t a job prerequisite:  http://blnnews.com/2013/08/05/one-the-candidates-for-bloomington-police-google-him/

One more note:  A current employee hired by Hales got out of a drunk driving incident, another temp employee was fired for trying to arrange a good deal for her fiance on some land.  Does Hales look for employees without integrity on purpose?  

See these links:

http://wglt.org/wireready/news/2014/11/04475_Rasmussen_hire_web_150504.shtml

http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2014/05/corruption-does-pay-for-sue-mclaughlin-85hr/

The officer received a written reprimand and “corrective action”.  Wow, I’m sure he learned a lesson.  The one he probably learned is “keep your mouth shut”.  How is lack of integrity corrected?

Enter Mayor Renner:  “This is deeply disturbing to me as a mayor and a citizen. This is not the Bloomington that I want for the future as mayor. We are better than this.”  http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/bpd-officer-received-reprimand-for-racial-comment/article_b1ec6a60-9f27-5f0e-afb7-08c4026ac7e2.html

This from the guy who vilifies opponents calling them “Off their meds”.  http://blnnews.com/2014/10/20/why-is-tari-allowed-to-denigrated-the-mentally-ill/

Since the Pantagraph did a movie about Mental Health (Shortchanged) one would think they would care, but evidently not.

Tari:  You were the Mayor when this incident took place!

Hales didn’t tell you?  Did you know and covered it up?

Maybe how fast you call a special Council meeting and FIRE David Hales will tell who knew what and when.  Of course, a Freedom of Information Act for emails will do the same.

How many potted plants are still in the Hales camp?