In an age where interactions between the public and law enforcement are under constant scrutiny, especially when it involves feeding unhoused individuals, understanding the dynamics at play is more important than ever.
- We have two videos available: 1) Police Officer’s Body Cam of the Arrest and 2) Food Not Bombs’ reel of the arrest.
The Setting
A seemingly routine police inquiry about an event taking place in a city park has raised some concerns due to its timing after sunset and on the day after Thanksgiving. Food Not Bombs has offered food in MLK Plaza on Fridays for 14 years.
The conversation unfolds between a law enforcement officer and the event organizer. The officer expressed concerns about the legality of the event, noting that gatherings in the park after dark violate city ordinances, setting the stage for the balance between public safety and community engagement.
- Police Officer William Roper states, “City Park closes at dark, and I don’t want it to…” This shows a clear intention to uphold the law while also considering the implications of enforcing it too strictly. The officer’s approach is not to immediately issue citations. “I’m not going to kick you out tonight; I’m not like that.”
As the conversation progresses, the event organizer, Mike Kimberl, responds, “You’re causing a problem where there hasn’t been a problem.”
The Complexity of Discretion
A compelling aspect of the exchange is the discussion of discretion in law enforcement. Kimberl points out, “Law enforcement officers have the right to not enforce a misdemeanor, and you’re telling me that you’re deciding to use your discretion against us?”
- Roper responded, “I’m not using discretion against you because discretion isn’t something you use against.”
“How are we harming anything?” Kimberl asked.
- “It’s not harming; it’s that you’re just still committing a misdemeanor,” Roper replied. “That’s what you’re currently doing.”
Ultimately, the officer chose to document the incident. Kimberl refused to give Roper his ID, which led to his arrest.
BODY CAM
FOOD NOT BOMBS
Note: Adult language
This morning during a radio interview PPD PIO Officer Mike Wood told Andrew McKay that Officer William Roper “works down there,” referring to downtown. It’s either Officer Roper’s regular PPD patrol beat or he works off-duty for the Downtown Improvement Board. (Why was Officer Roper downtown last Friday night? No one has said.) Officer Wood said that Officer Roper knows what is “normal.” All PPD officers know or should know that for 14 years the city has allowed Food Not Bombs to feed the homeless on Friday nights in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza. That is “normal.” So, the burden of proof here is on Officer Roper and his chain-of-command to include City Administrator Stafford and Mayor Reeves to explain why he (Officer Roper) suddenly decided last Friday that Food Not Bombs (oddly, allowed to continue) and Mike Kimberl (arrested, likely unlawfully) were acting unlawfully in violation of city law. If Food Not Bombs and Mike Kimberl had the long-standing verbal permission of the city to do as it was doing last Friday night, then on what basis can Officer Roper claim he was investigating unlawful behavior, detained Mike Kimberl and then arrested him? The arrest should be vacated. According to senior PPD Officers, Dispatchers and even an Internal Affairs Officer, PPD has problems with officer training and judgment and ineffective supervision. Seems to be the case here too. A few months back, a PPD Sergeant instructed me over the phone me that PPD does “not” enforce violations of the city code in city parks. He said PPD would not respond to my call for service. (Code Enforcement within PPD did respond and deal with it.) According to Chief Chief Brown, that Sergeant was to be reeducated. Sounds like Officer Roper needs reeducation too. The big lesson learned here is that Mayor Reeves’ claim of impotence suggests no one has ever told him that he’s the chief law enforcement officer of the city. The “buck” stops with Mayor Reeves however much he wants to throw others under the bus.
Officer William Roper had already identified Mike as the one that was arrested in 2022 and mentions the padlock. (Listen to the body cam again.)
Officer William Roper’s memory was good enough to recognize Mike from his 2022 arrest, but Roper wasnt hired by PPD until 2023, nor was Roper apart of the 2022 arrest.
This wasnt a random statement made by Roper, but it was a self snitch.
How long has officer William Roper been researching Mike?
I am curious how many emails were exchanged with Reeves and PPD the past 30 days, because it certainly feels like it was a set up at the direction of Reeves,