Tensions between the police union and Mayor Adrian Fenty were put on hold Friday to maintain the dignity of a memorial service for officers who have died in the line of duty.
Fenty had been disinvited to the ceremony by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1 over his handling of a police shooting of a teenager, but showed up as a guest of D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, quietly shaking hands with the law enforcement officers and hugging family of the fallen.
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Fenty officials had promised he would keep his commitment and speak at the event; union members had threatened to turn their backs if he did.
Neither happened.
Instead, friends and officers told stories about the officers. Bag-pipers played “Amazing Grace,” and a reader called out the names of more than 65 people from the Washington-Baltimore region who have died over the decades as white carnations were placed at a display.
Afterward, the mayor made a quick statement to the media praising the commitment of the law enforcement officers, but he refused to answer questions about his deteriorating relationship with his rank-and-file and ducked out a side door.
Kristopher Baumann, chairman of the labor committee for the D.C. police, said his officers showed professionalism at the event.
“We were there to honor our fallen officers and we weren’t going to let Mayor Fenty distract us and turn it into a political show,” Baumann said.
Family members of the fallen said they were not aware of the dispute between the mayor and police.
“I really don’t know and have nothing to say,” said Terrica Gibson, whose brother MPD officer Brian Gibson was killed in the line of duty in 1997.
Police are angry with the mayor because they say he appeared to take sides against two officers involved in the shooting of teenager DeOnte Rawlings before an investigation was complete. They are still upset that the mayor stood alongside Rawlings’ sisters as they accused the officers of murdering their brother and authorities of covering up for his death. They are also angry that Fenty paid for Rawlings’ funeral.
Last week, a seven-month federal investigation found no criminal wrongdoing by the two off-duty officers, finding that Rawlings drew his gun first and the officers acted in self-defense.
