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Speech at headgates stuns fellow officers
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Officer faces review
H&N Staff Writer
07/26/01
By KEHN GIBSON
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Jack Redfield, a Klamath Falls Police officer, delivers a statement to protesters at the headgates of the A Canal Wednesday.
Speech at headgates stuns fellow officers
A speech by a Klamath Falls City Police officer at the A Canal headgates Tuesday afternoon has drawn criticism from fellow officers and a repudiation from the city manager.
Lt. Jack Redfield, a 39-year veteran of the city’s police department, warned protesters at the A Canal that “an extremely violent response” was likely if environmentalists continue their efforts to reserve water for endangered species.
Klamath Falls City Manager Jeff Ball today issued a statement condemning Redfield’s speech.
“The statement read contained a number of extreme and potentially inflammatory passages,” Ball said. “The city of Klamath Falls does not endorse those views.
“Mr. Redfield was acting in his private capacity when delivering the statement, and was outside the scope of his official duties with the city. He should not have been in uniform, and it was inappropriate to have other uniformed city officers on the podium with him.”
Ball said the city is considering whether any further internal response is required.
Redfield’s statement shocked both local and federal officers who were at the headgates. One consequence, a federal officer said, would be to delay the withdrawal of the U.S. Park Police who have been at the headgates.
Before reading from a two-page letter he had written, Redfield said he was speaking as a rancher and not as a police supervisor. He was in his police uniform, and a police squad car with its lights flashing was parked nearby.
“As the extremists and out-of-control federal agents continue to push and as the agricultural people see their fields turn brown and their entire lives destroyed, their frustrations will undoubtedly escalate to the point of boiling over,” Redfield said.
“It won’t take much from Andy Kerr or Wendell Wood or their like to spark an extremely violent response. I am talking about rioting, homicides, and destruction of property like dams that hold the precious water from the agricultural community.”
Redfield removed his uniform camp and donned a white straw cowboy hat, but otherwise delivered his warning in full police uniform.
More than a dozen Klamath Falls officers were present, having arrived in four city police cars in addition to personal vehicles.
Klamath Falls City Manager Jeff Ball confirmed he held a brief meeting with Redfield and Police Chief Dan Tofell Wednesday afternoon, but would not say what was discussed.
“The incident is under review at this time,” said Ball. “As it may well become a personnel matter, I cannot comment further.”
Klamath County District Attorney Ed Caleb said it would be premature to discuss any prosecution. “It is my understanding an administrative action is under consideration by the city, and it would be inappropriate for this office to comment,” he said.
Local and federal law enforcement officers present for the speech were surprised, and some said the city should repudiate Redfield.
The letter, which decried a “liberal federal government” and “out-of-control federal agents,” has derailed plans to remove the federal law enforcement presence at the A Canal, federal officials said.
Lt. Jeff Wasserman, commander of the U.S. Park Police’s 15-man detail stationed at the A Canal, said the statements made by Redfield and supported by “the color of authority” raised concerns over the safety of his officers.
Just four hours earlier, when the headgates of the A Canal were opened while a throng of national media looked on, Wasserman said on the record it was “likely” his detachment would reduce by at least two officers Saturday.
By Wednesday evening, the federal posture had changed.
“We are concerned the citizens of Klamath County have taken the lieutenant’s statements as permission-giving,” Wasserman said. “I have notified the Oregon State Police and requested of my superiors the FBI conduct an investigation into the matter.”
In addition, Wasserman said he requested the city police department make a public statement disavowing Redfield’s comments.
On condition that they not be named, several Klamath Falls officers said they were unaware Redfield planned to read the letter. They said they were there to represent the department as Redfield donated a steer from his ranch to the protest effort. All the officers were on duty and in full uniform, and several stood with Redfield as he began to read.
“It made me very uncomfortable,” said one. “I had no knowledge the letter was going to be read.”
“We were ordered by Lt. Redfield to be present for what we thought was going to be a public relations event,” said another. “I felt the integrity of my department and my uniform was compromised by being attached to a political statement.”
“My job is to protect the people and property of Klamath Falls in a neutral manner, and enforce the laws of this city and state,” said another patrolman. “We were told we would be delivering beef, and it had been approved at a higher level than our lieutenants.”
All of the officers willing to speak made it clear that any political action taken while in uniform was, in the word of one patrolman, “unacceptable.”
Wood and Kerr, the environmentalists named in Redfield’s letter, are both with the Oregon Natural Resources Council and have led the fight to keep water out of irrigation canals.
Reached in Washington, D.C., where he is lobbying Congress in support of federal funding to purchase farms and ranches in the Klamath Basin, Kerr said the comments made by Redfield caused his organization some concern.
“It is troubling that somebody in a peace officer’s uniform would make such a statement,” he said. “We are concerned about everyone in the community, and we are seeking fair and just solutions.”
“I know of nothing we have ever done that has provoked an extremely violent response,” said Wendell Wood, field representative of the ONRC in southern Oregon. “In that context, the lieutenant’s remarks were completely unfounded.”
Officer Faces Review
Officer faces review
H&N Staff Writer
07/26/01
By KEHN GIBSON
Email this story to a friend
Jack Redfield, a Klamath Falls Police officer, delivers a statement to protesters at the headgates of the A Canal Wednesday.
Speech at headgates stuns fellow officers
A speech by a Klamath Falls City Police officer at the A Canal headgates Tuesday afternoon has drawn criticism from fellow officers and a repudiation from the city manager.
Lt. Jack Redfield, a 39-year veteran of the city’s police department, warned protesters at the A Canal that “an extremely violent response” was likely if environmentalists continue their efforts to reserve water for endangered species.
Klamath Falls City Manager Jeff Ball today issued a statement condemning Redfield’s speech.
“The statement read contained a number of extreme and potentially inflammatory passages,” Ball said. “The city of Klamath Falls does not endorse those views.
“Mr. Redfield was acting in his private capacity when delivering the statement, and was outside the scope of his official duties with the city. He should not have been in uniform, and it was inappropriate to have other uniformed city officers on the podium with him.”
Ball said the city is considering whether any further internal response is required.
Redfield’s statement shocked both local and federal officers who were at the headgates. One consequence, a federal officer said, would be to delay the withdrawal of the U.S. Park Police who have been at the headgates.
Before reading from a two-page letter he had written, Redfield said he was speaking as a rancher and not as a police supervisor. He was in his police uniform, and a police squad car with its lights flashing was parked nearby.
“As the extremists and out-of-control federal agents continue to push and as the agricultural people see their fields turn brown and their entire lives destroyed, their frustrations will undoubtedly escalate to the point of boiling over,” Redfield said.
“It won’t take much from Andy Kerr or Wendell Wood or their like to spark an extremely violent response. I am talking about rioting, homicides, and destruction of property like dams that hold the precious water from the agricultural community.”
Redfield removed his uniform camp and donned a white straw cowboy hat, but otherwise delivered his warning in full police uniform.
More than a dozen Klamath Falls officers were present, having arrived in four city police cars in addition to personal vehicles.
Klamath Falls City Manager Jeff Ball confirmed he held a brief meeting with Redfield and Police Chief Dan Tofell Wednesday afternoon, but would not say what was discussed.
“The incident is under review at this time,” said Ball. “As it may well become a personnel matter, I cannot comment further.”
Klamath County District Attorney Ed Caleb said it would be premature to discuss any prosecution. “It is my understanding an administrative action is under consideration by the city, and it would be inappropriate for this office to comment,” he said.
Local and federal law enforcement officers present for the speech were surprised, and some said the city should repudiate Redfield.
The letter, which decried a “liberal federal government” and “out-of-control federal agents,” has derailed plans to remove the federal law enforcement presence at the A Canal, federal officials said.
Lt. Jeff Wasserman, commander of the U.S. Park Police’s 15-man detail stationed at the A Canal, said the statements made by Redfield and supported by “the color of authority” raised concerns over the safety of his officers.
Just four hours earlier, when the headgates of the A Canal were opened while a throng of national media looked on, Wasserman said on the record it was “likely” his detachment would reduce by at least two officers Saturday.
By Wednesday evening, the federal posture had changed.
“We are concerned the citizens of Klamath County have taken the lieutenant’s statements as permission-giving,” Wasserman said. “I have notified the Oregon State Police and requested of my superiors the FBI conduct an investigation into the matter.”
In addition, Wasserman said he requested the city police department make a public statement disavowing Redfield’s comments.
On condition that they not be named, several Klamath Falls officers said they were unaware Redfield planned to read the letter. They said they were there to represent the department as Redfield donated a steer from his ranch to the protest effort. All the officers were on duty and in full uniform, and several stood with Redfield as he began to read.
“It made me very uncomfortable,” said one. “I had no knowledge the letter was going to be read.”
“We were ordered by Lt. Redfield to be present for what we thought was going to be a public relations event,” said another. “I felt the integrity of my department and my uniform was compromised by being attached to a political statement.”
“My job is to protect the people and property of Klamath Falls in a neutral manner, and enforce the laws of this city and state,” said another patrolman. “We were told we would be delivering beef, and it had been approved at a higher level than our lieutenants.”
All of the officers willing to speak made it clear that any political action taken while in uniform was, in the word of one patrolman, “unacceptable.”
Wood and Kerr, the environmentalists named in Redfield’s letter, are both with the Oregon Natural Resources Council and have led the fight to keep water out of irrigation canals.
Reached in Washington, D.C., where he is lobbying Congress in support of federal funding to purchase farms and ranches in the Klamath Basin, Kerr said the comments made by Redfield caused his organization some concern.
“It is troubling that somebody in a peace officer’s uniform would make such a statement,” he said. “We are concerned about everyone in the community, and we are seeking fair and just solutions.”
“I know of nothing we have ever done that has provoked an extremely violent response,” said Wendell Wood, field representative of the ONRC in southern Oregon. “In that context, the lieutenant’s remarks were completely unfounded.”
Officer Faces Review
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