Angela Greene, the former police chief of Portsmouth, Virginia, is suing the city for wrongful termination after administrators fired her on Monday.
Greene announced her intent to sue in a press conference immediately after receiving her termination notice. She asserted that city officials were retaliating against her for arresting a prominent politician and others in connection with the illegal toppling of a Confederate statue in June.
“Where do we go from here? Obviously, I have attorneys. We’ve talked and we have decided that we will file a wrongful termination suit,” Greene, who is black, said in the press conference. “Obviously, I believe that [I was] wrongfully terminated for upholding the law and being retaliated against for sticking to my sworn oath that I swore to serve and protect my citizens, community, and keeping my officers safe.”
“So, going forward … we want to make sure that this cycle and that law enforcement is able to continue to protect the community and continue to enforce the laws without interference from political leaders. And that’s all we ask for,” Greene said. “If we do not stand up and we do not take this moment to say that that’s all we want – is for our law enforcement officers to do the job that they were sworn to do, and provide the best service to the community, and to keep the community safe – then it will continue to happen if we don’t stand up against the political and elected officials that are interfering with this.”
Portsmouth police charged state Sen. Louise Lucas, an high-ranking Democrat in Virginia’s legislature, with conspiracy to commit a felony and destroy a monument in excess of $1,000. Police also charged 18 others, including a school board member and members of the local NAACP chapter, alongside Lucas, according to NBC News. – READ MORE
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