The Berkeley police chief got confused over what country he lives in - for a few days he thought he was in Nazi Germany.Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan was reading a story about himself online in the middle of the night, Friday. The chief didn't like part of the story so he ordered a department police sergeant to go to the reporter's home 'insisting' on changes - at midnight.
Berkeley resident and reporter Doug Oakley was visibly shaken by the 12:45 a.m. Friday knock on the door. Doug and wife first thought the police were informing them of a tragedy in the family.
Meehan apologized during normal business hours Friday.
"I would say it was an overzealous attempt to make sure that accurate information is put out," Meehan said. "I could have done better." Meehan said he didn't 'think' Oakley would be upset or intimidated!
Meehan, of course, is backtracking, rationalizing, and even trying to blame the reporter for his obvious abuse of authority. The police chief needs to go. Meehan has no clue how dangerous and unprofessional his thinking is - nevermind the obvious constitutional violation of the cops intimidating the press.
Jim Ewert, general counsel for the California Newspaper Publisher's Association charges Meehans's actions were "despicable, totally despicable, it's the most intimidating type of (censorship) possible because the person trying to exercise it carries a gun."
Mr Oakley was covering the town-hall meeting where residence registered angry dissent over Meehan's incompetence in responding to an elderly man being bludgeoned to death in his own driveway.
Berkley, are you listening? You have a loose cannon in your police department, the guy running the place!
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