Under Greensboro City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba, “innocent until proven guilty” doesn’t appear to exist for Greensboro police officers.
On June 6, Greensboro Police Officer M.E. Hamilton was indicted by a Guilford County grand jury for manslaughter for an incident that took place on Nov. 19, 2021, when Hamilton fatally shot Joseph Lopez who was hiding in a storage shed behind the house at 3504 Cloverdale Dr. A week earlier, Greensboro police had responded to a call from the same address and Lopez was found hiding in the house armed with a shotgun.
After being indicted, Hamilton was terminated by the Greensboro Police Department.
Through his attorney, Amiel Rossabi, Hamilton immediately appealed his termination. Up until June 6, no disciplinary action by the City of Greensboro or the Greensboro Police Department had been taken against Hamilton. After the shooting he had been placed on administrative duty, which is standard practice for any officer involved in a shooting.
The State Bureau of Investigation completed its investigation of the shooting in March and submitted the report to Guilford County District Attorney Avery Crump. No charges were filed, but Crump did present the case to the grand jury on June 6 and received a true bill of indictment. Rossabi notes that he had asked to be allowed to present evidence to the grand jury but was not allowed to do so.
In the denial of the appeal of termination of Officer Hamilton, Jaiyeoba wrote, “In light of your client’s indictment, without analyzing external factors, motivations, etc., I believe the indictment alone constitutes an instance ‘so egregious that it erodes public trust and negatively impacts or interferes with the day to day operations of the Department’, as covered pursuant to Departmental Directive 7.2.12. Therefore, it is my opinion that the decision to terminate your client was proper and in accordance with Departmental Directive 7.2.12.”
An indictment is not a conviction and, unlike a trial jury, the grand jury hears only the evidence presented by the district attorney, nothing from the defense.
In the past, Greensboro police officers who faced criminal charges were placed on unpaid administrative leave.
The problem with bringing in someone like City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba, is that they revert to how things were done in whatever third world country they came from. Another costly (to Officer Hamilton) example that the City Manager is a BIG mistake.
FJB – if we weighed your ignorance in one hand and your implicit racism in another – which would be heavier? Try thinking and acting compassionately as Christ would expect of a North Carolinian.
Let’s try some facts – the US has fallen behind in math and science scores to the rest of the world for decades, in fact it has gotten so bad of our students (and workers) were as skilled and as smart as the rest of the world the US economy would grow over 4.5% (that’s a lot). So not sure if you mean being from NC is considered third world but in terms of education it may as well be. Hit the books my friend, let Christ into your heart and try being a better you!
Tai wasn’t very compassionate, was he?
This is probably good news. My prediction, a not guilty verdict, followed by a major lawsuit and maybe a grand slam of DA and city manager getting fired with egg on their face
No one who is on with the Dem Machine gets fired. Third world politics.
The certainly don’t appear even handed to be so nonpartisan. You deserve the government you elect.
Why does the county manager have a say in a legal manner such as this? If the department did not take any action, that should be the basis for the officer to stay on administrative leave with pay until his trial and any conviction. I hope he sues the City, wins and is total acquitted for the incident.
Hamilton was terminated by the interim police chief. The next step in the process is to appeal the termination to the city manager. Going through the process will help the officer in the future.
It is not the county manager. It drives me crazy on here that people cannot seem to differentiate between the county government and city government.
This new manager has never been a manager before. He was a planner. Why did the Mayor and Council hire someone ill equipped to understand and perform the job as manager of the State’s 3rd largest City. His budget proposal of over 30% was absolutely unheard of except in the Great State of Charlotte. Sir, with all due respect, you ain’t in Charlotte anymore. The people here don’t make the money they do in Charlotte. And perhaps you have no real understanding of the legal process at work. An indictment is not a conviction. It was determined that there were no charges to be made. We are short over 100 police officers. Give us a break. You need to learn where you are! Take some time and get out and meet us middle to low income commoners not allowed to live in Charlotte.
Hope is not a strategy.
This is without a doubt the most ridiculous response from Jalyeoba that I have ever heard. I will just consider the source and not make any further comment.
Remember Travis Cole, a white policeman, run out of town because he arrested two black men. This is the result of diversity. Any time a black man makes a decision concerning a white man the result will always be negative. There are plenty of well qualified professional men in Greensboro who would be better in the position of City Manager than someone from a foreign country. WHY was this person put in this position?
He did not get fired for that incident. The city settled with the brothers. He resigned after a different incident.
The city lets employees charged with and convicted of other crimes– like DWI– remain employed and those are actual crimes. In this case, he did his job. There is no world in which he gets convicted– anyone with any experience in the legal system can see that. But that’s ok, at least all the cops will leave so you’ll have plenty of money in the budget to pay out his lawsuit for wrongful termination.
Not just the city-the POLICE DEPARTMENT has at least one, maybe two officers who have been charged with DWI in the past year and the previous chief did not fire them.
I think old Tai is screwed. It is the facts of a particular case that are egregious, not the indictment itself. Like if an officer murders a bunch of babies in cold blood, that would be egregious and worthy of immediate termination. Termination 8 months after the fact, when all aspects of the case have been known for months is not a response to an egregious act. The fact that they waited so long to terminate him in itlsef says that his actions wete not egregious. At this point they should have given the benefit of the doubt to the officer and let the case play out rather than denying him his due process. Get ready to get paid Officer Hamilton.