Oakland Cop Exposed In Video Covering Name Tag Suspended

Knowing there were countless citizens with cameras during the Occupy Oakland protests last year, Oakland police officer John Hargraves tried his best to keep his name out of the spotlight.

He even went as far as covering his name tag with a piece of black tape.

But it was a citizen camera that exposed him, putting his commanding officer on the spot, forcing him to remove the tape from his name tag.

It was an embarrassing video that revealed the mindset of the Oakland Police Department, which had proven to be the most aggressive police force in the country during the nationwide protests.

But now Hargraves and his supervisor have been disciplined.

According to The Bay Citizen:

The department suspended Officer John Hargraves for 30 days for covering his name badge with a piece of black tape, a violation of California law. Lieutenant Clifford Wong was demoted to sergeant for failing to properly report the incident, according to police sources.

It is a justified discipline for both officers, especially considering the history of abuse allegations against the police department.

Hopefully, it sends out a message to other officers who cover their names or worse, arrest people for asking their names.

And once again, it shows the importance of not only carrying your camera, but not being afraid to use it.


Please send stories, tips and videos to carlosmiller@magiccitymedia.com

Comments

Whoo-hoo! Love it when cops get smacked down!

A LT demoted to sgt over this? Wow, that seems a little harsh. However I do agree that the officer was a moron for covering his name tape.

It seems that the former lieutenant was not demoted because Hargrave covered up his name tag, but for not properly reporting the incident. Screwing up is one thing. Trying to hide the screwup is worse.

The implication is crystal clear: " I intend to do things I am ashamed of and I want no responsibility for my actions".
Sgt. is too good for him.

You are getting the players confused. The LT didn't have his name covered. The officer did.

You are correct. I should have been more careful and added that imo, the apparent attempt to cover up was actually worse than the officer's attempt at anonymity.

What cover up?

Lieutenant Clifford Wong was demoted to sergeant for failing to properly report the incident, according to police sources.
I think that qualifies as a de facto cover up. Anyway, any attempt to distort the truth is illegal. Wong should have bitten the...err-pencil-and told it like it was.

From the local story:

"According to the attorneys’ court filing, Wong made note of the officer’s wrongdoing in iPass, the department’s personnel management system, but he violated the reform agreement when he did not notify the officer’s direct supervisor, the Internal Affairs division, and did not inform the videographer that he could file an official complaint.
Source: The Bay Citizen (http://s.tt/15b88)"

So he documented it but he failed to make additional notifications. That's hardly a cover-up.

If he was a baseball player, that would make for a pretty good batting average, but here he failed miserably in his duties. One outta' 4 ? Come on.
You're splitting hairs here; he attempted to under-report it. He glossed over it. He didn't do his job.
AND, if the honchos saw fit to demote him,that's a pretty fair sign that he fucked up. Given that, in Oakland, especially, one of the most fascist PD's in America, you have to really screw the pooch to get ANY reprimand at all.
" Oh, yeah, THOSE notifications; Sorry about that, Sir "
Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Like the New Yorker cartoon where the executive is talking on the phone, presumably to someone in accounting, "Oh THAT three billion dollars".
I think we have thrashed this one to death. Let's move on to other lies, half-truths and obfuscations and various violations of citizen's constitutional rights. Darn those 'rights' things! They're always getting in the way of effective Police work !

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