Dear editor:
This is a letter I sent to Marin District Attorney Lori Frugoli on the Jeremy Portje case.
Dear DA Frugoli,
You must ask yourself, has Sausalito Police Chief John Rohrbacher stepped over the line?
In a Dec. 28 story in the Marin Independent Journal headlined “Marin DA: No charges for photographer in Sausalito arrest” Chief Rohrbacher said:
“I am concerned that the DA’s decision will encourage the continuing aggressive behavior of Jeremy Portje toward police.”
That’s a sitting police chief calling a member of the press “aggressive” even though you and your team of veteran prosecutors investigated the incident and did not characterize Mr. Portje’s behavior as aggressive or unlawful.
Despite your findings, or perhaps because of them, Chief Rohrbacher declared Mr. Portje to be “continuing” aggressive, implying there was a history of threatening behavior. There was no such history. The Chief was fabricating a narrative to inflame sentiment against Mr. Portje.
That is dangerous. By publicly declaring him as “continuing aggressive…toward police,” Chief Rohrbacher is using the color of his uniform and the authority of his position to put a target on Mr. Portje’s back.
When a senior law enforcement official makes bitter assertions about a member of the public — or worse, about a member of the press, whose job requires the freedom to work safely in the public domain — you, DA Frugoli, must act. You must open an investigation into Chief Rohrbacher, as well as the Sausalito Police Department. You must hold the Chief accountable for his inflammatory words, and investigate questionable actions under his command.
Perhaps you won’t charge him with intimidation under color of authority, which our California constitution declares illegal in Penal Code section 422.6.
But perhaps you will find misconduct. Perhaps you will find that Chief Rohrbacher has stepped over the line, and taken his department along with him.
I remember when the head of the FBI characterized a civil rights leader as “the most notorious liar in the country.” That civil rights leader ended up dead by a vigilante’s gun.
I’d like to think nothing like that will happen in Marin County. More importantly, I’d like to think you will take decisive steps to ensure it won’t.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Kevin Morrison
Novato
(Editor’s note: Kevin Morrison is a candidate for Marin County Supervisor, District 5.)
Layne Schneider says
Jeremy has been treated badly. I have known Jeremy for over 40 years. He is a dedicated reporter and photographer. He has always been kind and gentle. The Sausalito police and a few others have lied about him. This is unjustified. It seems , the Sausalito Police has used him as their “scape goat” to justify their behavior. I hope Jeremy sues the Sausalito Police . I can’t wait for the whole truth to be exposed in a tv documentary .
George Barich says
“Bitter assertions”? Spare me.
Chief Rohrbacher has listened to the public and reviewed this video link and many others of the self proclaimed photo journalist Jokemy Porkbelly (along with his woke accomplices also under investigation). This race baiter and social deviant has never been paid a dime for any of his ugly antics which involve hunting down innocent taxpayers minding their business in public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTMYyKeR2Ig&t=68s
I hope Frugoli gets a good laugh out of this Morrison’s letter after reading dozens of other letters calling for an end to this madness perpetrated by the ugly Left who find enjoyment in playing the victim, calling to defund the police, while trying to manufacture sympathy from an ignorant public.
CornPop says
Chief Rohrbacher and the Sausalito Police should be praised for their service and you request an investigation? Shame on you! Thanks for the evidence, Kevin Morrison, of what a complete disaster you would be as Marin County Supervisor, District 5.
Meg says
Why did officer Georges approach and confront Mr. Portje in the first place.? Why did he then put his face so close to the camera that a little Nick from it was inevitable? It appears it’s possible that the officers involved, particularly Georges, were looking for a reason to arrest and incarcerate Jeremy..
I’ve seen several videos from several angles and if this is not excessive force I don’t know what is. Oh and by the way, there is no reason an appointed person to a police board in one city cannot sue another city whose police force brutalized and detained him for doing his job. No conflict there at all.