By Motecuzoma Sanchez
February 7, 2017
Stockton, CA – Tonight at the city council meeting, community members, representatives of Stockton Black Lives Matters, and family members who have lost loved ones to Stockton PD came out to address Michael Tubbs as mayor, believing in the hope preached by him. They came to seek answers and camera footage.
Their disillusion and disappointment quickly turned to anger and disgust as mayor Tubbs abruptly stood up after a series of passionate speakers, announced a break and left the chambers to a back room as unrest unsued. He was the only member of the council to do so.
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Upon returning, he closed public comments further bewildering the stunned audience. He moved the agenda to the next item, a report from Moss Adams Analyst on Risk Assessment who gave an opening speech in near tears about how the commotion caused him to reflect on how he was, “so glad my family lives in a safe area”.
Attempting to disregard the audience by moving on with a business as usual attitude, the crowd responded with angry chants of “No justice! No peace!” Mayor Tubbs rather than address the crowd decided to call police in to escort people out from the chambers regardless of if they were chanting or not. They left even angrier than when they arrived and vowed to return stronger.
At the end of the meeting during council comments, councilmember Christina Fugazi called for open dialogue with the community in a hope to resolve these long standing issues. Mayor Tubbs barely mentioned the commotion or issues, instead announcing he would be speaking at an engagement in Sacramento with state senators later this week.
He was escorted after the meeting to his vehicle by over a dozen police officers armed with batons at the ready, included some in riot gear.
Photo credit: Carmen Slaughter
Comments 13
THIS IS REALLY SAD! LEFT PPL STANDING n NEVER ADDRESSES ISSUE OR TO SAY AT A LATER DATE! SHUTTING PPL OUT IS NOT GOOD…HE HAD NO ANSWERS TO GIVE!!! OUT OF RESPECT FOR “WE THE PEOPLE” HE SHOYLD HAVE MADE A DATE OF DISCUSSION AT LEAST.
SACRAMENTO IS WHERE HE WANTS TO BE~STOCKTON IS HIS STEPPING STONE!
This is was you voted for?
No Pauline-Tubby never got my vote… he never will. The only vote he will get from me is a vote to unseat him. He was worthless as a council member and he is proving the same as Mayor. He is NOT able to fill these shoes – I did not vote for Tubby
Citizen journalism is important.. thanks for your time and effort. My sincere question to you is: what would you have liked to see Mayor Tubbs do? If you were in his shoes, how would you have acted? Or, how would your ideal leader act? (Considering the myriad of factors in play, including the assumption that he has to support and maintain a healthy relationship with the police department in order to get their cooperation/trust to be able to get things done.) What would have been the best way to make the speakers/protesters feel heard and respected? How could this situation have resulted in a positive outcome? Again, I’m sincerely asking your ideas/perspective, not trying to initiate any kind of debate. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Author
Those are great questions. Over the course of 8 years and 3 different mayors I’ve seen larger and angrier crowds at city hall on the same issue. Never had it gotten this bad and it’s a direct result of the way tubbs handled the situation. Their chanting and disruption was a direct result of his dismissiveness and arrogance. He’s endorsed by the Stockton police officer’s association which oppposes proposed reforms like a citizens oversight committee, so he follows suit.Many of the protestors who came out were the result of how he handled a “community conversation” a week before in the neighborhood were their loved one was killed. A memorial stone they placed next to where Colby Friday was killed and had been there since last summer was removed days before Tubbs’ visit by city employees according to eye witnesses. Tubbs has refused to respond to that or explain why the police who killed Colby Friday changed their story 3 times and “disciplined” the officer David Wells for not turning on his bodycam until after he shot him.
I totally understand why/how protesters get angry. There are plenty of injustices that compel me to protest. I’m still asking: what should a leader do, at a city council meeting, in the face of protest? What is the best way to respond in that situation? What would you like to see Tubbs do? What could placate an angry crowd like the one at the city council meeting? I’m asking because I really don’t know.
he should be listening . he should be showing some compassion, and he should be helping actually get laws passed that hold police accountable for their actions … for their crimes . he looks to be a party boy who is using city funds to travel the world . he should step down
https://209times.com/san-joaquin-county/mayor-michael-tubbs-spent-nearly-50000-on-foodtravel-outside-of-stockton-in-2018/?fbclid=IwAR2_V1AJDzJ9S_OXur7-qvpu9PL7-YRLp70HlmcY5CvklUO2edsUMFaA8G0
i know this was last year but … tubbs is worse now . his responsibility is to listen, to actually hear what’s being said . his relationship to police is that he is their boss . his wish for a good relationship to them has to do with retaining their financial and political support https://209times.com/san-joaquin-county/mayor-michael-tubbs-spent-nearly-50000-on-foodtravel-outside-of-stockton-in-2018/?fbclid=IwAR2_V1AJDzJ9S_OXur7-qvpu9PL7-YRLp70HlmcY5CvklUO2edsUMFaA8G0
Did they also protest the county sheriff’s office? I thought this horrific incident involved a sheriff’s deputy. To my knowledge the mayor oversees the Stockton police and not the sheriff’s office.
Gang of Stockton police has been unaccountable for murdering and robbing American people, due to fascist local politicians and oppressive attorney generals such as Kamala Harris,
this couldn’t be more relevant in 2019 . too many people in california know nothing about her failure as attorney general and will support her run for president
first of all we need to stop killing one another 1st. black on black crime is where it begins and ends find one person with a background in public speaking so we can be heard effectively and respectfully stop bulling the people with the power
Tubby needs some common sense and empathy-his Stanford degree does not make him a leader or a scholar when he can not direct the council meetings and shuts it down because he is terrified of questions that he knows are coming and can not handle. Don’t ask the public how he should have handled a situation-this is Tubby’s responsibility and he’s been an embarrassment in the entire 2 months he’s been in office. Don’t go out here on social media to get him advice. He is NOT qualified to fill these shoes-this he has proven