The police chief of Oakland, California, Sean Whent, has resigned after 18 months in the role, following a series of officer misconduct cases. The city’s mayor, Libby Schaaf, described the decision as a “personal choice”, though it comes amid allegations of sexual misconduct, an officer possibly involved in his wife’s death, and other incidents.
Whent’s departure follows that of San Francisco police chief Greg Suhr, who stepped down last month after controversies involving fatal shootings and offensive messages. Both chiefs leave their departments as major US cities face growing backlash against police misconduct.
In Oakland, scandals include an officer charged with battery and trespassing after allegedly assaulting a woman while intoxicated, another officer charged with pulling a gun on a painter, and the case of officer Brendan O’Brien, who killed himself after allegedly murdering his wife and leaving a note that sparked a sexual misconduct investigation. Four officers were placed on leave and two resigned as a result.
Mayor Schaaf expressed anger over the alleged misconduct but stated that Whent was not personally under investigation. The department remains under federal oversight following a 2000 lawsuit over officers planting evidence and brutalising suspects. Critics continue to raise concerns about racial profiling and police shootings in the rapidly gentrifying city.
