Like everyone else, we were shocked to hear of the suicide of Sgt. Gunn yesterday. But unlike the Leader or the News Press we’ll be giving you the complete backstory on this soon– we’re going to be working all weekend getting the details.
For those who have been asking, yes, Gunn was one of the good guys. In fact, he was preparing to testify against Burbank Police Chief Stehr in some upcoming misconduct charges. He was also one of the lead investigators on the Herrera case, that being the Guatemalan immigrant that the FBI was so interested in a few months ago, the one who was allegedly beaten up by Eric Rosoff and then mysteriously deported from the country before the Feds could question him in person in Arizona.
[UPDATE: we have received several reports that Gunn left a suicide note naming Chief Stehr in multiple accusations. One report says that the cops actually found it on his body at the scene, but we can’t confirm this right now. We’ll try to get details ASAP.]
Gunn also has a son and a wife who work for Burbank, the son for the BPD itself. So one can only imagine the pressures– or threats–0r worse- that were being placed upon this poor man because of his history of whistleblowing. In fact, last year Chief Stehr personally threatened Gunn about his relatives, after Gunn blew the whistle on some major BPOA wrongdoings.
Make no mistake, our city fathers are dancing in the streets right now over this tragedy. They got one more troublemaker out of the way who was prone to cause them major pain. And for sure, we will be investigating just how they did that.
NOTE:
Ignore the innuendo in the news reports. Gunn and about 30 other BPD employees are on the FBI’s document dump subpoena list, but it doesn’t mean they are all guilty of something. In many cases their files are being collected just because they had some kind of relationship to or knowledge of possible criminal behaviors. It does not mean they are potential criminals themselves.
But fully expect a Gunn defamation squad to rise up soon and glom onto this story as a vindication of the higher-ups, that this suicide was a clear admission of guilt (the local newspaper is already implying a connection with the FBI. Shame on them). Gunn did get caught up in the outside investigation regarding alleged civil rights violations, but the machinations here among these same higher-ups are a marvel to untangle.
We’ve already noted how Stehr and the city attorney have blatantly exploited these incidents– tardily, by the way– to help set up some of these whistleblowers, and for Gunn to have suffered here only emphasises the craziness of the problems he was facing. The irony and the raw dealing would be enough to break anyone.
Sadly, there is much more to this suicide story. This is not a guilty officer trying to evade punishment, this was an unhappy man who was being pressured to disappear. To put it bluntly, Sgt. Gunn knew too much, and he had been double-crossed one time too many by people who would do anything to discredit him and get him out of the way.
We have been warned for months that there is far more evil to this BPD mess than anyone yet knows. But we’re starting to find out.
**UPDATE # 1**
There’s much cooking with this FBI investigation, too. It’s definitely moving along. We have reports that the FBI rented half a floor in the old Glendale Federal Building on Brand, and were pulling in BPD cops one-by-one in detailed questioning sessions. We’ve also been getting information that the city’s and their attorney Kreisler’s internal “investigation” was looking more like a fishing expedition and stop-leak fixer effort. That could be one reason why they don’t want the city council to see any of it too closely– the emphasis may not be what the council thinks it is…
Traditionally this is what always happens with these internal efforts. They are not investigations so much as fishing expeditions to see who is out there and what they have to say about unfavorable employees. In the end, let’s see how much stress was put on “civil rights” questions. We doubt very much at all.
Burbank, California 
“Despicable” is too GOOD of a term for you….
Thank God the truth will FINALLY come out. It will bring down the Chief and his corrupt cronies.
Neil Gunn kept the City of Burbank safe from gang bangers and other miscreants. His death has now left us volunerable. When the truth is revealed, the papers better retract their defamatory description of a fallen hero.
Rest assured, the BPD management people in the city are absolutely ecstatic about this, because one of the prime witnesses against them is gone.
From this point on anyone who defends these people is more than a little cracked. It has gone beyond the pale, and all the phony indignation in the world will not make it better. We’ve just begun to ask questions here.
A man takes his own life and you folks seem to know it all. Dear God, let the family grieve in peace without all your finger pointing and sick accusations whether it be against the PD or City Officials. Sad, Pretty Sad.
I suspect that the family will only rest in peace when those city officials who are responsible are punished.
Before more damage is done, before more lives are lost this city must be cleaned up. You can call that being political but to me it is no different than the dual task of mourning for those shot at the bank and making sure those who caused the shooting in the first place are aprehended and punished. Most of us call that JUSTICE.
The city attorney and city council have really done nothing to prevent things like this, so they failed.
Just how I see it and Burbank now looks so bad I really don’t care if someone tells me they don’t agree.
This city has become evil.
As if these cops don’t have enough stress already.
I don’t doubt any of this. People will stop at nothing to protect themselves and that
s exactly what the people in charge are doing. What is really sad is that Burbank leaders are either so weak they can’t do anything or so crooked they won’t do anything. Burbank is a mess.
Little do the people know that Sgt. Gunn is one of the few that can get something done, cases solved and actually make a difference. It is ALL the people complaining that DON’T have those qualities and CAN’T solve cases.
Believe me, people should be concerned what type of supervision is running Burbank. Most of the investigators running the show these days focus on where they will eat for their extra long lunch and if they can catch the train back home on time.
What a shame!
Sir, you seem to have a lot of information. I wonder if some how you are involved and are trying to only share your point of view. If you have such a problem with the department, why don’t you try and be a part of the solution and not add to the problem.
I am sure people on both sides have some moral issues, but it will all play out. The sad part is people in the community have to suffer. Mr. Gunn’s family will suffer the most because of Mr. Gunn’s actions. Nobody forced the man to kill himself, he chose to do what he did. I think it’s time to move on. Just a thought.
Another problem is that Linda Rosoff who is an employee of the City Attorney’s office is involved deeply in the investigation and feeding information back to Eric Rosoff what is happening before it happens. I would say that is a distinct conflict of interest.