We can’t stress this enough. If you can’t go to tomorrow night’s city council meeting, be sure to watch it on Burbank’s Channel 6. It will be a very important one, for a number of reasons. This is one of them:
Media Advisory
Burbank police Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn Sr. family members to address the media
BURBANK, Calif., November 2, 2009 – The family members of Burbank police Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., who died last week, will speak to the media following the Burbank City Council meeting tomorrow, November 3, 2009 at 6:00 pm.
Sergeant’s Gunn’s children and other family members will tell the media that Sgt. Gunn’s suicide was motivated, in large part, by the treatment of Sgt. Gunn by the Burbank Police Department.
Sergeant Gunn was a 22-year-veteran and patrol sergeant with the Burbank Police Department. He received numerous commendations for his work, including Ministerial Officer of the Year in 1992, and two departmental Professional Esteem awards.
The Burbank City Council meeting begins tomorrow at 6:00 pm at City Hall, 275 E. Olive Avenue. It is anticipated that the family will talk to the media at 6:30 pm outside of the Council Chambers.
CONTACT: Englander & Associates, Eric W. Rose.
There will also be another appearance that we can’t talk about right now, and a candlelight vigil. We can expect some details about motives and a possible legal action against the City of Burbank, as well as a call for immediate change. The city council-majority will no longer be able to hide behind soft words and e-mail missives between each other that get sanitized for public consumption.
BTW, we can confirm that Sgt. Gunn did indeed leave a suicide note on his person, as we reported last week, and that it was found by the BPD at the Harvard Road site. It specifically named Chief Stehr as a principal in this situation.
Burbank, California 
i hope they show how many use of force complaints this man piled up. between him and his three other SED cronies suing in the “racist” cover up suit, they probably have totaled more than the current department combined. can’t blame upper management for his own actions. for an esteemed 22 year veteran and such a man with a great physical presence, he was definitely lacking a clear and functioning brain. can’t take your own life and pass along the blame. he just called it quits because he didn’t know how to deal with the looming judgments.
excuse me for not reading to the end… it is obvious he did not want to snitch on his LT. Rodriguez when he was set to testify against him, nothing to do with the Chief who is finally putting a backstop on their corrupt practices and abuse of “use of force. ” i really hope the release how many use of force complaints SED racked up while under SGT. Gunn and LT. Rodriguez command.
Always saddens me that people are made out to be heroes in death, when in life they were far from it.
While we are all very, very sorry for the Gunn family’s tragic loss, it would serve us all well to remember that very few “innocent” people take their lives when facing these types of accusations.
May the Sgt. rest in peace. Hopefully they will allow him to.
Well said Jim and Bill.
It’s sad that, to get their side of the story out to the public, the Gunn family had to hire their own PR firm to counter that in-house at Burbank City Hall…
The media now just copies press releases…
What’s up in Burbank on tonights press conference
http://whatsupinburbank.wordpress.com/november-3-2009-burbank-city-council-press-conference-and-more/
No matter how anyone of us has a take on the tragic event of Wednesday last, what the family chooses to share with the People directly, should be of great interest to all of us.
After hearing the family’s expression, all of us can take a deep breath, and let the chips fall where they may.
We, the People that the family chose to share with, cannot help but benefit from the thoughts they want us to hear.
No doubt, it won’t be easy for them, but whatever “angle” folks choose to view this tragedy from will be missing important elements if we don’t all weight seriously the information.
After all, we may learn something the powers that be have persistently hidden from all of us.
The Lord has provided the family with the strength to follow through with this endeavor.
JK & Dixieflyer, than you for your words and you are correct, we need to be opened minded during the difficult times the city is facing, now is not the time to continue to look the other way. Looking the other way, is what created this debilitated situation.
Unfortunately life is not always fair, just or right. The tragic death of Sgt Gunn, should not be a time for any sort of celebration, a human being was lost. Regardless of your beliefs of his service to this community, he did serve for 22 years, was decorated and has a family. Now is the time to heal.
No one speaks of healing, someone is always trying to blame. Let’s find answers, let not his loss be in vain.
LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell is available. He is just what the Doctor ordered to cure this illness.
An LAPD mentality is the LAST thing this city needs. That’s just the type of thinking that got us here in the first place. I’m sure he’s a bright and capable guy, but it’s hard to find an LAPD command officer who has gone on to be successful in smaller agencies. There’s a few, I’m sure, but they are far outnumbered by those that were disasterous. Where is John Wayne when you need him most?
You are wrong on this one…..
I plan to go to city hall tonight. I am believe that this city attorney and city manager should be fired for letting everything happen.
I don’t know if Sergent Guns family is reading but I am sorry for the pain Burbank has caused you.
Amused, I’m curious why you say McDonnell is available. He has made it clear he’s staying on with Chief Beck and has no plans to retire for at least several years. This job would be a significant cut in pay for someone like him. Ain’t gonna happen.
You don’t know till you ask. He would make a fortune between his LAPD retirement and BPD salary.
Sadly, some of the recent comments on this blog are trying to spin this tragedy by placing the blame on Sgt. Gunn. It sounds very much like the destructive defamatory press release that came out of City Hall after Capt. Taylor filed his lawsuit. Employees get fired when they don’t follow directives from the top, so look to Burbank leadership, the Chief, City Attorney, City Manager & City Council for blame.
This entire community has been awakened to the fact there has been a tragedy for a family of a 22-year police veteran, a son who chose to follow in his father’s footsteps in law enforcement, and a wife who has been a loyal, dedicated City employee for many years. No matter where you are on any issue everyone needs to have some respect for this family’s loss.
Unfortunately…. the family doesn’t even respect there own loss. They are having a press conference on the steps of city hall and their loved one isn’t even buried yet.
Amused no more,
Maybe you don’t know this, but when someone dies loved ones have anger about the loss as well as grief. Sometimes it is healthy to place the anger where it belongs. I can affirmatively tell you that if my husband were under attack in life or death, I would be wanting to set the story straight or at least tell his side of the story. So I respect them for whatever they need to do to heal this tragedy.
Now is the time to expose everything- get it all out on the table, no more secrets. End the gossip and speculation and deal with the problems across the board.
Sue,
I guess we have to agree to disagree on this one.
I heard someone might stream it live check here after 6
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/burbank-police-sgt-neil-thomas-gunn-sr-family-members-to-address-the-media
People are lining up outside City Hall. NBC has a front row seat. Should be interesting…hope they don’t cut it down to a 5 sec. blurb.
Saw it on the Ch2 News, the Ch9 News, and heard it was on the Ch7 News. It wasn’t mentioned on our hometown Ch4 KNBC News at all that I know of. Protecting the home turf, perhaps?
Well, at 6:00pm, NBC had a truck right out front, with a microwave dish, so maybe the just covered the vigil and left.
With all due respect to the Gunn family, they are the one’s putting this out there for discussion. It doesn’t quite make sense that if you make serious accusations, like the ones the family is leveling against the City, that no one can then comment on them.
Regardless of the City’s wrongs, and there are plenty of them, the fact remains that Sgt Gunn chose to end his life on a public street corner in broad daylight. As a resident of Burbank, I find that hard to forgive had one of my children witnessed this or stumbled across his body.
Had the Sgt. any love or respect for his family and the City he served, he would have held his head high knowing that in the end, justice would have prevailed.
That the family now chooses to blame others for this cowardly act saddens me.
Bill,
Will you please stop addressing him as a coward! It’s bad enough the Gunn family has to endure their loss, but to have you make such nasty comments is not necessary.
I am a person of religious beliefs, but I don’t go around imposing my thoughts on others, let GOD be in charge.
Unless you have been in the position that these officers are in, you have NO idea the HELL they live everyday they report to work. “Judge how you want to be Judged”.
What’s important right now is that we the citizens stand up and demand answers, from every level, make all accountable through the proper chain of command. How does the city council sit there and tell this community that Dr. Gordon is “Grand Standing” the situation? What more will it take for them to stop insulting the intellect of this community, because the way I read what they are saying is the citizens are stupid enough to believe them. Anja wants us to believe this is all news to them and they have not had the opportunity to review things. Let’s see 7 lawsuits later, numerous complaints, numerous officer’s on administrative leave, numerous investigations from at least 3 outside depts and most tragically the death of Sgt Gunn, does not constitute an EMERGENCY? What planet does she live in.
I did not know Sgt. Gunn, personally, but this has impacted my life, I can’t begin to imagine what his family is going through. Let his death not be in vain.
If no one has anything to fear and they feel they have done their jobs to the letter of the law, be transparent. He who has nothing to hide, has nothing to fear.
Just to get things straight – is this the timeline:
1. Investigation starts into improper use of force & civil rights violations
2. Officers under investigation file lawsuits alleging racism
3. FBI sends subpoenas
4. Sgt Gunn tragedy
If this is the timeline – it has the appearance of impropriety – though I would wait to see evidence of civil rights violations
There are quite a few more items that should be in your timeline, but it’s very helpful to see things this way.
The employees started complaining first, long before any lawsuits. Al’s leaving that out.
Actually, that is not the way things went down BPD officers sued and then they began to get investigated by the FBI.
Al is absolutely right in his time line! The internal lawsuits were not filed until well after the outside law enforcement agencies had started their investigations.
Al’s also leaving out #0:
–Employees start to complain about things like discrimination and retaliation. #0 started years ago, long before these so-called investigations.
In fact, Stehr brought the Sheriff’s in only AFTER some of these people started complaining. It was a tactic of evasion.
Al you’re such a tool. Filing a discrimination lawsuit does absolutely nothing to protect you from a use-of-force investigation. The discrimination lawsuits are the culmination of years of people biting their tongues so as not to disrupt the team. But people can only be pushed around so long, everyone has their limits, and they finally decided to tell their stories and file their lawsuits. Your timeline is misleading and useless.
“Jim” I trust you got my message. I referred to you twice in my City Council message. The name calling must stop. The rumors must stop. We can no longer be a city where if they consider you “chicken feathers” then they can throw you in the gutter. Legally.
And if I did talk to you on Tuesday you should talk to Peter he is a good man. Regardless talk to Peter.
BTW thanks for sending me the message in Fronnie’s blog so long ago. That’s when I knew a written copy or quotes from my secret memo had actually been circulated. Up until then it was only hearsay.