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More than 100 Oakland police officers, many in uniform, and civilian staff lined up outside of police union headquarters Tuesday morning to say goodbye to fired Chief Anne Kirkpatrick. The stunning show of rank-and-file support was the kind of sendoff given to a retiree, not a chief who was fired days earlier by the Oakland Police Commission and Mayor Libby Schaaf.
With cameras rolling, Kirkpatrick hugged each person she passed, even signing a portrait of herself for one Oakland police employee.
“By my termination, you have destabilized the stability of this police department and it destabilizes the community’s safety,” Kirkpatrick told reporters outside the union building. “I’m sorry for it, but I love them and I’m supporting them and I have loved being a part of this community and I have loved being an Oaklander and I’m just saddened that I have to say goodbye.”
Kirkpatrick received support from several officers there to send her off after she expressed interest in filing a lawsuit. Nicole Ruff, a Communications Supervisor in the department, said she absolutely hopes Kirkpatrick moves forward with the suit.
“I know she’s going back home and I’ve seen quite a few things on the news about her challenging the determination and I hope that she does because we’d love to have her back,” Ruff said, adding a message for the Mayor and Police Commission who terminated Kirkpatrick: “Listen to your employees. Tell us reasons for why you let her go and let it be something that’s valid. If it’s not, reverse the decision and bring it back.”
Inside the Oakland Police Officer Association building, union members held a private event. At its end, Kirkpatrick signed off on the police radio to reach officers who remained on duty. Kirkpatrick has hired crisis manager Sam Singer, who was by her side Tuesday, and is talking with lawyers, including super lawyer John Keker. Kirkpatrick is returning to Washington state, where she worked as chief before coming to Oakland.