Fresno police officer who was former Proud Boy fired. Chief details investigation
Fresno Police announced Friday that the Fresno police officer who formerly was a Proud Boy has been fired.
“After discussions with Chief Balderrama regarding the ongoing internal investigation of Officer Rick Fitzgerald, who is accused of participating with the Proud Boys extremist group, it is clear to me that there were egregious violations of department policy,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said in a statement. “I am pleased that Officer Fitzgerald will no longer be serving as a police officer with the city of Fresno.
“As mayor, I want to reiterate to the community that I will not tolerate any form of racism displayed by city of Fresno employees,” he said.
Fitzgerald was placed on paid administrative leave last month, and Chief Paco Balderrama launched an internal affairs investigation after Fitzgerald joined the Proud Boys to support the sale of the iconic Tower Theatre to Adventure Church. Twitter users identified Fitzgerald as a former Proud Boy.
Balderrama told The Bee that Fitzgerald did not resign. City Communications Director Sontaya Rose confirmed Fitzgerald was terminated.
“Due to the legal constraints surrounding personnel matters, I am unable to give further details,” Balderrama said in a statement. “However, I stand by and reassert my prior comments in strongly disapproving of any police officer affiliating with hate groups, or any group known for engaging in violent criminal behavior. Such ideology, behavior, and affiliations have no place in law enforcement and will not be tolerated within the ranks of the Fresno Police Department. Public trust and accountability are paramount in our ability to fairly police this community. The integrity and legitimacy of our police department must be maintained.”
The Bee reached out to Fresno Police Officers Association President Brandon Wiemiller for comment. Wiemiller was not aware of Fitzgerald’s termination at the time, but the union later issued a statement criticizing the investigation.
Investigation
Although Fitzgerald was fired, the internal affairs investigation remains ongoing, Dyer said.
It remains unclear how much of the investigation will become public once complete due to privacy laws. The city attorney’s office will determine what information can be released.
Fresno Police Department worked with other agencies, including the FBI, to determine no other members of the Proud Boys or any other hate group are working as Fresno police officers, Balderrama told The Bee.
“That is a standard we must maintain, and we will take proactive measures to do that,” he said.
Dyer said Fitgerald’s Proud Boy involvement was believed to be an isolated incident, and “there will be ongoing precautions taken within the organization to make sure that that in fact is the case.”
Reforms
Fitzgerald’s termination comes the same week the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law penned a letter to Balderrama calling for Fitzgerald’s termination and for the department to weed out white nationalism. The letter provided legal analysis as to why Fitzgerald’s continued employment and any white nationalism expressed by officers undermines the department’s work and role to protect and serve the community.
Other community groups also called for Fitzgerald’s termination and urged the city and Fresno Police Department to instate a citizens oversight commission and put into action other recommendations from Fresno’s Commission on Police Reform.
Balderrama and the police department currently is working to enact 23 of the 73 recommendations of the Commission for Police Reform, Dyer said. An eight-member implementation committee is working to enact an additional 15 recommendations, he said. It will take anywhere from 12-18 months for that to happen, he said.
This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 12:25 PM.
CORRECTION: The original version of this story said Mayor Dyer announced the termination. City Hall staff clarified that Dyer was reacting to Chief Balderrama’s announcement..