now and the attorney representing the former chief made it clear the report found that chief laurent armstrong was completely vindicated of any wrongdoing. overwhelmingly taking his side so much so, the city is being asked to reconsider hiring him. a sigh of relief from former oakland police chief leronne armstrong. >> i think today is something that i envisioned happening a long time ago. >> armstrong was placed on leave in february after the city's federal monitor suggests that he mishandled two incidents of misconduct within the department. but this 55 page report exonerated armstrong of those accusations. >> that report concludes that, number one, the chief never should have been disciplined. there is no factual basis for the discipline that was issued as recommended that that discipline be reversed and removed from his file. number two, the criticisms of him in the federal monitors outside law firm reports were unfounded and the determination that his he was lacking in credibility during that investigation does not have a factual basis. and according to armstrong's attorney, will edelman.

tonight, we're going to dig into the developments in oakland from former police chief laurent armstrong saying there's now proof he was wrongfully terminated to the millions of funds forfeited to help fight retail crime. why the naacp is now getting involved as well, reporter stephanie sierra and answer hassan join me to discuss. plus reporter leanne melendez shares the work done to clean san francisco streets for the dreamforce conference. the lessons learned and what can be done moving forward. join us for those stories and more at 530 on abc7 bay area streaming tv. julia ama. >> all right, thank you, karina. and you can download the abc7 app or head to abc7 news.com to join karina in just two minutes. and if you're watching us on tv, world news tonight with david muir is up next for sandhya patel and all of us here at abc7 news. >> thanks so much for joining us here at five. i'm julian glover. >> and i'm ama daetz. we'll see you again at. but do they really? do they see all that you are? at kaiser permanente all of us work together to care for all that is you. >>> tonight, breaking n

reporter stephanie sierra has our details. >> a sigh of relief from former oakland police chief laurent armstrong. >> i think today is something that i envisioned happening a long time ago. >> armstrong was placed on leave in february after the city's federal monitor suggested he mishandled two incidents of misconduct within the department. but this 55 page report exonerates armstrong of those accusations. >> that report concludes that, number one, the chief never should have been disciplined. there is no factual basis for the discipline that was issued and is recommended that that discipline be reversed and removed from his file. number two, the criticism of him in the federal monitors outside law firm reports were unfounded. the determination that his he was lacking in credibility during that investigation does not have a factual basis. and according to armstrong's attorney, will edelman. >> the report found the initial findings from the federal monitor did not draw the appropriate conclusions. the conclusion that he violated any department rules also lacks a factual foundation and is simply no

the date of that strike has yet to be announced. >>> meanwhile oakland's fired police chief laurent armstronge he wanting the job back. he's citing information in a new report from a judge who heard his appeal citing wrongful termination. here's the words of mr. armstrong's attorney first. >> at a very high level, that report concludes that number one, the chief never should have been disciplined. there's no factual basis for the discipline that was issued and it's recommended that discipline be reversed. >> so that is attorney talking about a report that we have to tell you we have not as a news organization been able to read for ours ourselves. we have not seen it. just going on what they say it says. and it concludes according to them that many of the complaints about armstrong lacked supporting evidence. so why can't we get our hands on that report? why can't it be made public? this morning it seems like all sides are agreeing on one thing. the report contains private information about other city employees and therefore can't be released. armstrong says he's read it and it contains vindic

mayor shengtao fired chief laurent armstrong back in february. but now a more than 50 page report came out as armstrong appealed his termination. coming to the conclusion, armstrong never violated any department policy and any punishment he faced should be reversed and wiped away from his personnel record. commissioners say armstrong would still be chief today if it weren't for that investigation and that this new report deems unreliable and not credible. to ignore former chief armstrong as a candidate would be to ignore a significant amount of community voice. therefore we have to balance that with what we understand is a very sort of polarizing and dynamic situation . in their report, the hearing officer stopped short of saying armstrong should be reinstated, saying that's out of the purview of this review. and despite this report, mayor shengtao stands by her decision to fire armstrong, saying she was concerned about his knee jerk reaction, that an investigation into him was underway, rather than the concerns over the details of that investigat

laurent armstrong looks like he wants the job back. >>> to make that case, he is citing information inudge who heard his appeal citing wrongful termination. in fact, here's armstrong's attorney. >> at a very high level, that report concludes that number one, the chief never should have been disciplined. there's no factual basis for the discipline that was issued and is recommended that discipline be reversed. >> that's attorney will ed lman talking about a report that we have not seen for ourselves as a news organization. we're going on what they say. they say the report concludes that many of the complaints about armstrong lack supporting evidence. why can't the report be made public? right? we all want to see it. all sides say they cannot release it because apparently it contains private information about other city employees. armstrong says he's read it and that it contains vindication. listen. >> i think the people of oakland deserves to know that the son of the city did not violate them, did not undermine their trust. that i am who i said i was. committed to the city of oakland. s

they also want fired police chief laurent armstrong to be rehired, hired now, other points of the plan program is for mentoring and job training of fully staffed 911 center and support from the california highway patrol and the alameda county sheriff's office. we agree that money should go to social programs, but when you got people getting killed in the streets, when you've got robbed, robberies occurring, you got people dragged through the streets. the first thing you got to do is you got to stop that and you stop that with police as the chief did nothing wrong. he's innocent . bring him back home now. it has been more than six months since chief armstrong was let go. the mayor says she lost confidence in him and plans to issue a state of emergency if the chief is not chosen by the end of the year by the police commission, that will give her the power then to appoint a new chief. all right. so brooks has mayor tao responded to any of these questions around missing the grant deadline? and do we know exactly what options the mayor has from here? well, we did speak with her on camera to

former police chief laurent armstrong has made a public demand for his job back. an independent investigation into his firing found that he shouldn't have been fired. abc7 news reporter gloria rodriguez joining us live in the newsroom with reaction to the report and what could potentially come next. >> gloria good morning. kumasi the report is largely in favor of former oakland police chief laurent armstrong. he's saying this is clear vindication and he wants his job back. his supporters are calling on mayor shengtao to rescind state him a new 55 page report by an independent arbiter later exonerates armstrong of any wrongdoing in relation to allegations that he mishandled two incidents of misconduct within the department. the report calls for the city to consider for his reinstatement and some community leaders believe that oakland should bring him back. >> chief armstrong, he knows oakland. you know, he has seen many years of our experience when it comes to public safety. he he was part of the cease fire, the gang, the gang injunction and dealing with many other

former chief laurent armstrong was fired in february over his handling of some misconduct investigation. >> meanwhile, oakland is launching a new initiative to help small businesses and boost foot traffic in some commercial areas. the grant program is called activate oakland and abc7 news reporter anzar hassan explains how it will work. >> i'm so excited to actually be here today announcing activate oakland in an effort to support local neighborhoods and businesses. >> activate oakland is an attempt to encourage community driven events to drive up foot traffic. >> when we activate our streets . this is how we keep each other safe. we get to know our community and of course we deter criminals from coming in and at the same time we are pumping the economy with funding. >> the city is allocating $400,000 to fund the program, money earmarked from economic and workforce development department grants of up to $10,000 are available. all music in the park is an example of what the city wants to see. other activities include block parties, movie nights, pop up shops and dance or exercise events.

violence comes as the city of oakland is still looking for a new police chief today ousted chief laurent armstrong says that a new report exonerates him of wrongdoing. mayor tao fired armstrong. you may remember, back in february. well, last month, armstrong filed an administrative claim against oakland disputing the allegations against him that led to his firing. now, the former police chief says a new 55 page undisclosed report can included that the charges against him lacked credibility and that he did not violate any department rules. i said from the onset of this that i was not guilty of any of these allegations, that the facts will come out in this case. and when the facts did come out, i felt like i would be vindicated. and today is that vindication, really. the report went on to recommend that the mayor meet with armstrong to consider the possibility of his reinstatement. and we're getting reaction tonight from the oakland police commission tasked with finding a new opd chief. it said the decision in the appeal, quote, reaffirms the same points made by oakland police commission chair tafar

that report is largely in favor of former oakland police chief laurent armstrong.this is clear vindication that he wants his job back, his supporters are calling on mayor shengtao to reinstate him. a new 55 page audit criticized the report that led to the termination of chief armstrong earlier this year after allegations that he mishandled misconduct within the department. the report calls for the city to consider his reinstatement and some community leaders believe that oakland should bring him back. >> chief armstrong, he knows oakland. you know, he has seen many years of our experience when it comes to public safety. he was part of the cease fire, the gang, the gang injunction and dealing with many other law enforcement actions that we currently need today. >> everybody makes mistakes. that's why they put erasers on the back of pencils. point of it is to say that she made a mistake and ask him to come back, maybe even apologize. >> that is bishop bob jackson of acts full gospel church, who believes the mayor made a mistake and can do it. mayor shengtao released

replenishing the force by 2028 and independent investigation has cleared former oakland police chief laurent armstrongo his firing earlier this year. >> but oakland mayor shengtao is defending her decision. and now other city leaders are speaking up for children who are found unresponsive at a at a home based daycare in new york are reigniting the focus on efforts to combat opioid overdoses across the us. >> the steps being taken in california and here in the bay area. good morning. it's tuesday, september 19th. >> i'm going to start the check of our forecast with lisa. >> yeah, good morning to all. we ar

stepping into the job after the firing of laurent armstrong . allison stint was supposed to last for just six months, a loss . angeles county sheriff's deputy is shot and killed while on duty and officials say he was targeted. it happened saturday evening in palmdale jail, which is just north of los angeles. the sheriff's office says 30 year old ryan clinton, bremer was inside his patrol car when he was shot in an unprovoked attack. the department is asking the public to come forward with video and tips that leads to an arrest. there's $100,000 reward in the case. the shooting comes three years after two la deputies were shot ambush style in their patrol vehicle. california is taking center stage at one of the biggest climate conscious events in the world this week. climate week nyc is underway in new york, kicking off today with an appearance from california governor gavin newsom. the governor's appearance comes two days after california filed a lawsuit accusing five major oil companies, including chevron, for their continued use of fossil fuel

. >> a new report out today that ousted oakland police chief laurent armstrong says vindicates him andilled in the streets, when you've got robbed , robberies occurring, you got people dragged through the streets, the first thing you got to do is you got to stop that. >> oakland community groups blasting city officials for missing a deadline to apply for a multi-million dollar crime fighting grant. good afternoon. i'm christine zee, and i'm julian glover. >> there are two major issues facing oakland city leaders today. >> we begin with the war of words between the naacp and mayor chantelle over the city. missing the deadline for state grant to fight escalating retail crime. abc seven news reporter leslie brinkley is in oakland with reaction from both sides. >> oakland got nothing. i'm going to say it again. oakland got nothing. >> members of the naacp met with community leaders at the acts full gospel church in oakland to discuss why the city of oakland failed to meet a deadline to get money from the state to fight crime. the naacp alleged the city may not have negligently just missed

former oakland police chief laurent armstrong was fired seven months ago, but has yet to be replaced tonight, the police commission met at city hall, discussed who should be the department's next chief. ktvu zac sos was at tonight's meeting and reports now what he heard from those in attendance. i believe that he should be reinstated. what happened with with chief armstrong showed that he doesn't support police accountable city one by one. oaklanders stepping up to the mic at thursday's police commission town hall weighing in on the february firing of chief lauren armstrong and who they'd like to see take the helm of the department next among them, gail harbin and her husband, jerry. they were wrong for firing chief armstrong in the beginning. they did not allow due process before they fired him, and they should reinstate him because it was very premature. lauren armstrong will be back. armstrong's ouster by oakland mayor xiang tao in february coming after a probe criticizing the former chief's handling of misconduct investigations involving his office hours. but that decision coming

all this is happening, oakland still does not have a police chief after mayor chantel fired laurent armstrong earlier this year over his handling of officer misconduct cases, there still no timetable as to when a new chief could be selected >>> chp says they are on the lookout this weekend for potential side so activity planned across california. officials say they are monitoring social media posts talking about possible street takeovers. starting in los angeles, and ending here in the bay area. chp and local law-enforcement agencies across the state say they are going to have extra staffing on standby this weekend. >>> now, to morocco, where the death toll from the friday night 6.8 magnitude earthquake has now topped 2000 people, that number will rise as rescue crews's world to reach remote areas. the epicenter, just 44 miles from marrakesh tourists and locals alike are sifting through the rubble and lining up to donate blood from the victims. all the memories of the quakes fresh in their minds. >> third started shaking, backwards and forwards and everything started moving and pictures start

. >> the i-team talks one on one with former oakland police chief laurent armstrong about whether heeteorologist sandhya patel. hazy skies and higher fire danger. i'll have the hour by hour forecast coming up. abc7 news at 6:00 starts right now. >> now building a better bay area moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7 news and you can see tonight's top story in the sky that hazy smoky sky. >> it could be hazardous to our health. good evening. i'm ahmed daetz. >> and i'm julian glover. conditions have been shifting throughout the day, but they're bad enough to trigger an air quality advisory that could be with us for a while. we've spotted the haze all across the bay area. >> sky seven was over the peninsula just a couple of hours ago. check out how bad the visibility was above south san francisco. this is along 101 near not far from the airport. the hills and houses disappear into the haze and conditions are not much better in the east bay from the port of oakland. >> we'll show you that in just a moment. you can barely see the bay bridge or the san francisco skyline. take ou

an overwhelming majority in attendance asking to bring back fired police chief laurent armstrong. mayor shengtao terminated the chief during an investigation into his handling of police misconduct. armstrong eventually filed an appeal and an independent investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing. and that's now led to calls of his reinstatement. the police commission is responsible for identifying a list of finalists for the job and presenting them to the mayor for consideration. an it's chair wants to include armstrong in that consideration and calls the absence of three other commission members political theater. we knew this was going to happen, so we converted our regular commission meeting to an ad hoc meeting. so that was just us three. rudy howell, david jordan and myself. and we're the ones doing the search. we did the search for the zipper director. we did the search for the chief. i also did the search for the inspector general. this is the third time that i'm doing this for the police commission. reports from the oakland side suggest the three commissioners, absent thos

former oakland police chief laurent armstrong today called the recent findings of an administrative appeal to his termination an earlier this year a vindication action. last month, armstrong filed an administrative claim against oakland, disputing the allegations against him that led to his firing. well, today, armstrong and his attorney said the 55 page detailed report by an administrative hearing officer concluded that the charges against the chief lacked credibility and that he did not violate any department rules, something he's maintained from the beginning today. is that vindication. it really clearly says that i did not engage in policy violations. i did not have any issues around credit ability and the statements that were made regarding me in that investigation were unfounded. the report went on to recommend that the mayor meet with armstrong to consider the possibility of reinstating it. in a statement today, the oakland police commission said the decision in the appeal reaffirms the same points made by the chair of the oakland police commission, who has publicly disagreed with m

. >> from the i-team tonight, a one on one interview with former police chief laurent armstrong. >> this conversation comes just one day after a report revealed he was falsely accused of misconduct. >> abc7 news i-team reporter stephanie sierra joins us now with what he had to say. >> steph. yeah, it was interesting and revealing and i have to say the former chief was very candid with his reaction to all of this. >> he certainly is disappointed it took this long for the truth to come out. but he's looking to the future. and regardless of what happens, he made it clear oakland needs real leadership now more than ever. how are you feeling about everything? >> i feel good. i feel vindicated. >> and after everything that's happened, do you want to go back to opd? >> well, i love the city of oakland and i love the oakland police department and the men and women that work at the oakland police department. and so i think everything is on the table. >> how is your relationship with mayor tao initially before all this happened? >> initially, i thought we had a good relationship. >> since this rep

. >> oakland's fire fired police chief laurent armstrong talks to abc seven about his future at least organization backing the former chief to be reinstated. and if you or your child has played fortnite in the past, you may be entitled to some there is nothing like it dancing is my passion. but with my moderate-to-severe eczema, it hasn't always been easy. i was constantly itching. whatever i was doing now, i'm staying ahead of my eczema there's a power inside all of us to live our passion. and dupixent works on the inside, to help heal your skin from within. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema. so, adults can have long lasting, clearer skin and fast itch relief serious allergic reactions can occur, that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, including blurred vision, joint aches and pains, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. healing from within is a powerful thing. ask your eczema specialist how dupixent can help h

tao fired the previous chief, laurent armstrong, after an independent investigation found he failed toofficers accountable for misconduct. five east bay police officers appeared in court on charges of conspiracy and accepting bribes that allegedly includes tequila in exchange for voiding citation of friends. the contra costa county da's office filed the charges against four antioch police officers and one pittsburg officer in court yesterday. none entered a plea. instead, they waived their rights to a speedy trial. court documents show between 2020 and 2021, antioch officer timothy manley williams allegedly tried to help clear a speeding ticket and prevent officer andrea rodriguez from appearing in court in exchange for a bottle of tequila. officer manley williams is also one of the ten officers indicted back in august in the fbi's ongoing investigation into the antioch and pittsburg police departments . abc7 news spoke with one community activist who's been regularly attending court hearings surrounding these cases . >> as i seen the look on some of their faces, they look like they're

we're hearing from former oakland police chief laurent armstrong after an independent investigation clearedwrongdoing following his firing in february. plus these people are the losers. >> they lost the elections and now they're running the local chapter. >> activists in oakland calling for a national intervention with the city's chapter of the nra. pg what they say about the group and how it's acting in the interests of its people. >> but first, depending on where you are, you might be able to already smell it in the air. this morning, we're taking a look at our air quality and how long we can expect these hazy skies. >> good morning, everybody. it's wednesday, september 20th. okay. >> so let's start with lisa. how's it going this morning? >> all right. good morning to you. we are certainly in the bad zone with the air quality. so today and tomorrow, air quality advisory, the oranges and reds indicate the worst air. and we've had this yesterday. and with the wind slackening off overnight, right? yes, it gets worse. we need that mixing and we don't have it for the next 24 to 48 hours becaus

the former chief, laurent armstrong. >> i believe that he should be reinstated. i hope the commission has the opportunity to recommend him to be reinstated. and i think that the city of oakland has suffered dreadfully since he was fired in this past february. >> what matters is that xiang tao was elected by the majority of oaklanders and she made a decision. the purpose of this board is not to undermine her leadership. up last night's town hall went on, despite three members of the commission boycotting it. >> armstrong's name has frequently come up during other public meetings during this search. he was fired without cause by mayor shengtao, an independent report said that he mishandled officer misconduct cases. however for a judge, a judge's recent report responding to an appeal from armstrong cleared the former chief of any wrongdoing. >> a petition to recall alameda county district attorney pamela price has the go ahead to move forward. the registrar of voters approved the petition yesterday, which means the organizers have five months to collect nearly 75,00

about the search for a new police chief and also to ask the public whether former police chief laurent armstrong reinstated. the city has been looking for a new permanent chief since armstrong was fired last february. the oakland naacp has been calling on the commission to put some information out there. armstrong at the top of its list of candidates, which they will submit to mayor shengtao, who will then make the final decision. more bay area cities are turning to cameras and license plate readers to help fight crime. piedmont has had license plate readers in place for several years now, says the technology has led to about 27 arrests a year. there are now plans to install them in other cities. one of them is oakland, which is experiencing a sharp increase in crime. we know that sometimes we're looking for that needle in the haystack. so that's exactly what the alpr technology is there to do to be a force multiplier to help us identify those needle in the haystack and deal with them. some experts cast doubt on the efficacy of the cameras. they say they often don't help to solve crimes. a 2010

friday will mark seven months since mayor tao fired then chief laurent armstrong over his handling of officer misconduct cases. she says the replacement search has taken too long and says that she could declare an emergency due to crime concerns. now the police commission's chair responded with a statement that read in part, the mayor created this crisis and liability by dismissing the former police chief after an outside investigation report by a san francisco firm that had questionable quality sufficiency and credibility in its analysis and findings. we urge the mayor not to scapegoat the commission for the city's lack of response on public safety concerns. our time now. 715 oakland police are literally going to new heights trying to prevent car break ins and car thefts. the oakland police department installed a temporary police watchdog tower right in jack london square. they're watching out for car burglars. the jack london square neighborhood is one of many that have seen a rise in car break ins. oakland police report that in the last week there have been 43 car break ins in jack

and they want to hear from the public if former police chief laurent armstrong should be reinstated. been looking for a new permanent police chief since armstrong was fired last february. the oakland naacp has been calling on the police commission to put chief former chief armstrong at the top of its list of candidates, which they will submit to mayor shang tao, who will then make the final decision. well, more bay area cities are turning now to cameras and license plate readers to fight crime. piedmont has had the license plate readers for years and says the technology has led to about 27 arrests per year. there are now plans to install them in other cities, including a proposal in oakland. as crime rates increase , we know that sometimes we're looking for that needle in the haystack. so that's exactly what the alpr technology is there to do to be a force multiplier, to help us identify those needle in the haystacks and deal with them . now, some critics aren't convinced, pointing to a lack of leads from cameras to solve cases. a 2010 study by george mason university found license pl

it is still searching for a replacement for former police chief laurent armstrong.pdate on how that search is going at tonight's meeting. we now know the identity of the two men who died after their car crashed into the canal in san rafael. jose hernandez and dennis and hernandez were both 21 and from san rafael. they were killed in that crash. their car was submerged in the water when police arrived. they were unconscious and unresponsive when paramedics attempted life saving measures. one witness told the marin i-j they saw the vehicle traveling at high speeds right before the crash. our time is now 604. happening today, the war in ukraine will take center stage when the united nations general assembly will meet in new york. it's a two day summit of world leaders. it starts this morning. the president biden arrived last night in new york. he's due to speak tomorrow to ukrainian president zelensky. he also plans to be at the meeting . it will focus mainly on the russian invasion of ukraine, on the world leaders attending the un general assembly meeting will also di

former oakland police chief laurent armstrong says there is now proof that his termination should be reversed. the oakland police commission went so far as to say it could recommend his reinstatement. ctv's james torres live in oakland now with the city's ongoing search for a police chief, james gasia. a more than 50 page report that we just learned about yesterday suggests that laurent armstrong did nothing wrong during his tenure as a police chief, saying he shouldn't have ever been suspended and he did not violate any department policies. and now , as a result of this report, some major decision makers are thinking laurent armstrong should be back on the job as oakland's police chief. now, the former chief faced accusations as the city looked into his handling of police misconduct. mayor sheng tao fired him back in february. and this new report came as armstrong was appealing that firing and those conclusions coming from a hearing officer who was retired judge that on monday night police commission meeting, the group working to find a new permanent police chief. one commissioner s

its number one priority is to have 1000 police officers on staff and hire back fire chief laurent armstrong, oakland city administrator, spoke over the weekend saying he and his department accept full responsibility. quite frankly, we just missed it and so we failed in that in that in that space. and so there really isn't an excuse. all i can say is that we'll certainly look look at this as an opportunity to improve, to move forward in an attempt to move forward. mayor shengtao recently announced six chp officers and one sergeant will help patrol the streets of oakland. the governor's office also separately awarded oakland more than $1 million to install 300 cameras citywide. an attorney from the naacp says the request for proposal for the state grant would have allowed major cities to receive up to $15 million and he believes oakland would have qualified for that. and the failure to apply for the grant demands a thorough investigation by the city auditor, an entity that's trusted to act independently and objectively. such an investigation should seek answers to several critical questions.

people in the audience wanted to talk about former police chief laurent armstrong, who was fired by mayor shengtao in february. his termination came after a probe which criticized his handling of misconduct investigations involving his officers. i'm here to speak and say that the chief doesn't deserve to be to be returned living in oakland without armstrong has been not feeling that someone connected to the community and understanding and having the ability to understand ktvu obtained a copy of the confidential report regarding armstrong's administrative appeal of his termination in a hearing officer who is a retired judge says his suspension should be reversed. she found that he was not in violation of department policies and accusations that led to his termination were unfounded. armstrong says the report exonerates him of any wrongdoing. the people of oakland deserves to know that the son of the city did not violate them, did not undermine their trust. mayor shengtao issued a written statement that said in part that there was no recommendation that i reverse my decision to move the dep