Chris Dorner, Not An Isolated Incident:
Two Officers, Same Stories, Different Outcomes
By Maleena Lawrence, The Constituent
February 11, 2013
Email: maleenalaw@gmail.com
In recent days we have been trying to come to grips as to why Chris Dorner, a decorated military soldier and former LAPD officer has a chosen the path of “necessary evil” to clear his name. To get a better understanding of his actions, I read his Manifesto in which he states that by crossing the Blue line, he was retaliated against, persecuted and terminated, thus effectively ending both his military and law enforcement careers.
As I read Dorner’s Manifesto, it reminded me of a prior incident with a current LAPD officer, Sergeant Randy Franklin. Who could better understand the frustrations of Chris Dorner than a fellow officer who also believed the department he served was one of integrity, honesty, and dignity.
I interviewed Sgt. Franklin after reading an LA Times article about his battle with police corruption written on May 28, 2009 by Joel Rubin, then again, in the intense days of the LAPD announcing it’s plan to reopen Dorner’s case followed by an attached bounty offering $1 million for his capture.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-264272?ref=email, http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/28/local/me-lapd-harass28
For those unfamiliar with Sgt. Franklin’s case, in 2005, his home was illegally searched by LAPD. The search warrant (falsely written) stated the location was a gang hangout with "numerous citizen complaints of gang activity and blatant narcotic sales/use at the location."
A LAPD internal investigation cleared the officers of all allegations of misconduct stating there was no evidence that the officers had falsified a search warrant. Sgt. Franklin was then forced to seek remedy through a civil suit. The jury unanimously found the officers involved, liable for falsifying a search affidavit, which is a crime, and their conduct to be outrageous in doing so. Sergeant Franklin again asked that these officers be discipline but LAPD refused and instead promoted them. According to Franklin, “… it’s a pattern of conduct that the LAPD covers up crime, the white officers get promoted and the black officers get fired”.
Sergeant Franklin then sought aid from the Police Commission, Los Angeles City Council members, FBI, NAACP, ACLU, and the Mayor of Los Angeles, all of whom refused to acknowledge or respond.
Today, Sergeant Randy Franklin is still fighting the same injustice Chris Dorner talks about in his Manifesto. He is still implicated in an unsolved murder in which they took his duty weapons during the illegal search and placed them into an unsolved murder investigation to imply a connection. The “path of moral corruptness” and racism runs deep in LAPD, so deep that Sgt. Franklin thinks it will never go away.
If one wants insight into the mindset of Chris Dorner one simply needs to speak to Sergeant Randy Franklin. Both are military trained, male Black police officers who reported injustices and endured the racist wrath of the Los Angeles Police Department. Both have spent large amounts of their personal incomes to fight the injustice of the Department. The difference is, Sergeant Franklin chose a much less tragic route to air his grievances and reclaim his name. He has spent the past eight years trying to get the aforementioned people to listen and correct what they have done but to no avail.
Mentally, this makes you wonder, how many more officers silently suffer under the Blue Line instead of speaking out?
Unfortunately, it has taken a Dorner manifesto and several targeted deaths to get LAPD to take notice. If you ask Sergeant Franklin, what he thinks of the LAPD today, he will tell you, “They lack integrity, honor, dignity, discipline, reverence for the law and respect for the people they swore to serve.” This comes straight from someone who believes that the greatest mistake in his life was joining the LAPD.
As I read Dorner’s Manifesto, it reminded me of a prior incident with a current LAPD officer, Sergeant Randy Franklin. Who could better understand the frustrations of Chris Dorner than a fellow officer who also believed the department he served was one of integrity, honesty, and dignity.
I interviewed Sgt. Franklin after reading an LA Times article about his battle with police corruption written on May 28, 2009 by Joel Rubin, then again, in the intense days of the LAPD announcing it’s plan to reopen Dorner’s case followed by an attached bounty offering $1 million for his capture.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-264272?ref=email, http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/28/local/me-lapd-harass28
For those unfamiliar with Sgt. Franklin’s case, in 2005, his home was illegally searched by LAPD. The search warrant (falsely written) stated the location was a gang hangout with "numerous citizen complaints of gang activity and blatant narcotic sales/use at the location."
A LAPD internal investigation cleared the officers of all allegations of misconduct stating there was no evidence that the officers had falsified a search warrant. Sgt. Franklin was then forced to seek remedy through a civil suit. The jury unanimously found the officers involved, liable for falsifying a search affidavit, which is a crime, and their conduct to be outrageous in doing so. Sergeant Franklin again asked that these officers be discipline but LAPD refused and instead promoted them. According to Franklin, “… it’s a pattern of conduct that the LAPD covers up crime, the white officers get promoted and the black officers get fired”.
Sergeant Franklin then sought aid from the Police Commission, Los Angeles City Council members, FBI, NAACP, ACLU, and the Mayor of Los Angeles, all of whom refused to acknowledge or respond.
Today, Sergeant Randy Franklin is still fighting the same injustice Chris Dorner talks about in his Manifesto. He is still implicated in an unsolved murder in which they took his duty weapons during the illegal search and placed them into an unsolved murder investigation to imply a connection. The “path of moral corruptness” and racism runs deep in LAPD, so deep that Sgt. Franklin thinks it will never go away.
If one wants insight into the mindset of Chris Dorner one simply needs to speak to Sergeant Randy Franklin. Both are military trained, male Black police officers who reported injustices and endured the racist wrath of the Los Angeles Police Department. Both have spent large amounts of their personal incomes to fight the injustice of the Department. The difference is, Sergeant Franklin chose a much less tragic route to air his grievances and reclaim his name. He has spent the past eight years trying to get the aforementioned people to listen and correct what they have done but to no avail.
Mentally, this makes you wonder, how many more officers silently suffer under the Blue Line instead of speaking out?
Unfortunately, it has taken a Dorner manifesto and several targeted deaths to get LAPD to take notice. If you ask Sergeant Franklin, what he thinks of the LAPD today, he will tell you, “They lack integrity, honor, dignity, discipline, reverence for the law and respect for the people they swore to serve.” This comes straight from someone who believes that the greatest mistake in his life was joining the LAPD.
About Maleena Lawrence
Creator of The Constituent.TV and PoliTainment Correspondent
A graduate of Norfolk State University, Maleena is a writer, human rights advocate and media personality
with a love for humanity, politics, music, acting, traveling and activism.
She reminds all, "To Thyself Be True".
Maleena is also a PoliTainment Contributor for The Los Angeles Sentinel, Lipstick High Heels & BS Radio and Co-Author of "JustFriends"?
For inside-info & bookings on this story contact: maleenalaw@gmail.com
A graduate of Norfolk State University, Maleena is a writer, human rights advocate and media personality
with a love for humanity, politics, music, acting, traveling and activism.
She reminds all, "To Thyself Be True".
Maleena is also a PoliTainment Contributor for The Los Angeles Sentinel, Lipstick High Heels & BS Radio and Co-Author of "JustFriends"?
For inside-info & bookings on this story contact: maleenalaw@gmail.com
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RNC Presidential Debate: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, I Don't Think So
When the moon is full the tide rises. And so were my eyebrows when Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Paul Ryan, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made conscious strides to not mention the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina or the swelling floods from hurricane Isaac during their RNC speeches. Paul Ryan stated, “our rights come from nature and God, not from government”. With over 700,000 residents without power, masses of people are praying for history not to repeat itself and that the levees withstand the strength of the storm. In front of thousands, if Ryan can shout out that his playlist starts with “AC/DC and ends with Zeppelin”, then surely a quick acknowledgment of support to those struggling in stormy weather could have made a slight improvement to the party’s favorability ratings. I repeat, he and his party mates drenched audiences with moral blurbs of love and respect, yet, neglected to pay homage to one of our nations most catastrophic homeland offenses and a invaluable opportunity to connect with millions of inquisitive voters. Instead, Paul Ryan and friends did exactly what they accused President Obama for doing, "ducking the hard issues". Not a single Republican politician addressed grassroots issues such as: long term effects of outsourcing jobs equating to high unemployment, reproductive rights for women, education equality, racism, environmental justice, voter id laws, military spending, mass incarceration rates and corporate bailouts with comprehensible solutions.
Another bodacious mention was Ryan’s promise to repeal The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare because he says that President Obama's healthcare act exists at the expense of the elderly and federal government. According to Mitt and Ryans plan, Obamacare does not represent a free America. Perhaps, the Obama Administration's healthcare act is highly unfavorable amongst Mitt and Ryan because one of its financial provisions is generated from taxing incomes over $200,000 and $250,000. Even better, the current healthcare plan provides affordable coverage with low premiums for 34 million Americans and imposes an accumulative annual fee of $27 billion on manufacturers and importers of branded prescription drugs. We all know both insurance and pharmaceutical companies have oblique records when it comes to presenting honest cashflows. I strongly sense that if Mitt and Ryan dismantled Obamacare there would be an immediate cut to benefits and a radical response from small business owners, young professionals, entrepreneaurs, the working poor and middle class families. Particularly, I don't think they are prepared to handle this kind of public reaction.
To say the least, we are living in a rapidly evolving society where the tolerance level of finger pointing leadership is quickly dissipating, if not over. This 2012 Election cycle is definitely not a time for voters to neither fallback nor Republicans to re-apply the founding principles of the United States. Can you imagine going backwards where women had no rights, black people were treated less than human, modern day slavery legalized with sophisticated systems and individuals compromising their freedoms at the expense of privilege, power and the top 1% of rich white men privatizing their assets as they rebrand capitalism for a new America.
Another bodacious mention was Ryan’s promise to repeal The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare because he says that President Obama's healthcare act exists at the expense of the elderly and federal government. According to Mitt and Ryans plan, Obamacare does not represent a free America. Perhaps, the Obama Administration's healthcare act is highly unfavorable amongst Mitt and Ryan because one of its financial provisions is generated from taxing incomes over $200,000 and $250,000. Even better, the current healthcare plan provides affordable coverage with low premiums for 34 million Americans and imposes an accumulative annual fee of $27 billion on manufacturers and importers of branded prescription drugs. We all know both insurance and pharmaceutical companies have oblique records when it comes to presenting honest cashflows. I strongly sense that if Mitt and Ryan dismantled Obamacare there would be an immediate cut to benefits and a radical response from small business owners, young professionals, entrepreneaurs, the working poor and middle class families. Particularly, I don't think they are prepared to handle this kind of public reaction.
To say the least, we are living in a rapidly evolving society where the tolerance level of finger pointing leadership is quickly dissipating, if not over. This 2012 Election cycle is definitely not a time for voters to neither fallback nor Republicans to re-apply the founding principles of the United States. Can you imagine going backwards where women had no rights, black people were treated less than human, modern day slavery legalized with sophisticated systems and individuals compromising their freedoms at the expense of privilege, power and the top 1% of rich white men privatizing their assets as they rebrand capitalism for a new America.
Ann Romney and former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice applaud Ann's first campaign speech at the Republican National Convention, 2012.
My darling Ann Romney spoke from a place of love, yes, however, she too was so out of touch with women outside of her social-political circle. I consider Paul Ryan the "Young Gun” of the Republican Party since he was the first to whip out debatable issues. Prior to Ryan's speech, I imagined that I was going to hear Condoleezza deliver a solid message to ignite influence, turn heads and stir up a likability rating strong enough to entice Republicans to reconsider their current Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney. Perhaps, a African-American female republican candidate would make this election match up more diversified but less festive than Sarah Palin's 2008 joyride and challenge the core competency levels within all political parties. Given Ms. Rice's staunchness and immense level of intelligence, I wonder how Condoleezza would shape domestic policy and win over a civically charged grassroots base? We know two things for sure, her war room is no place for play and the Republican Party loves her. Granted, I do not think they are honestly ready to be reprimanded or held accountable by a fierce woman like Condoleezza Rice in the White House.
As the evening came to an end, Paul Ryan was slinging his own slogans and continued to fire off reckless remarks which created missed opportunities to engage first time RNC viewers such as myself. The key ingredient for building a stable country is not drawn by economic lines. Are the poor or disenfranchised not included in the process of building a stronger America? As a constituent, I must ask the question, as prospective leaders for the United States, If Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney ignored the herd of pink elephants standing in America’s living room during the Republican National Convention what makes you think they will make social-political issues a priority once elected? A true country’s progress is represented by establishing a nation’s mindset where prosperity is reflected in a myriad of ways with justifiable means to benefit all of humanity. In truth, as a people "We Deserve" a lot more than transparency. "We Deserve" to function among leaders who value integrity and can withstand the repercussions of being honest.
As the evening came to an end, Paul Ryan was slinging his own slogans and continued to fire off reckless remarks which created missed opportunities to engage first time RNC viewers such as myself. The key ingredient for building a stable country is not drawn by economic lines. Are the poor or disenfranchised not included in the process of building a stronger America? As a constituent, I must ask the question, as prospective leaders for the United States, If Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney ignored the herd of pink elephants standing in America’s living room during the Republican National Convention what makes you think they will make social-political issues a priority once elected? A true country’s progress is represented by establishing a nation’s mindset where prosperity is reflected in a myriad of ways with justifiable means to benefit all of humanity. In truth, as a people "We Deserve" a lot more than transparency. "We Deserve" to function among leaders who value integrity and can withstand the repercussions of being honest.
