In a sudden, swift, and surprising move – Oakland’s police commission decided to exercise their power by firing the city’s first female police chief.
Friday morning, Anne Kirkpatrick is out of a job after taking over as the city’s chief three years ago.
The commission is made up of civilians who needed the approval of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for them to carry out the termination.
Schaaf did just that by saying she thanks Kirkpatrick for her time on the job, but that now she will look for a replacement.
The firing was considered without case, but there had been a lot of friction and animosity between the commission and chief for several years stemming from an officer-involved shooting involving 5 officers who shot an unarmed man.
Many in the community and commission wanted those officers fired.
Instead, they accused Kirkpatrick of protecting them.
