Homeless in Arizona

City officials said Friday they would start looking at ways to reduce the number of liquor licenses in the city

In his three-year career at the Winslow Police Department, Austin Shipley held a suspect at gunpoint five times, drew his Taser four times and used physical force in at least three situations

I guess that's why a lot of us don't have any faith in the government or the police.

Source

Winslow promises change in wake of Loreal Tsingine shooting

Robert Anglen, The Republic | azcentral.com 8:42 p.m. MST May 6, 2016

City officials said Friday they would start looking at ways to reduce the number of liquor licenses in the city and take steps to ensure staff members attend tribal chapter house meetings "in the very near future." Chapter houses are communal meeting places on the Navajo Reservation where residents can express their opinions to tribal leaders.

The initiatives were announced at the same time officials confirmed the city's longtime police chief would retire in August. At that time, an interim chief will take over and a consultant brought in to review the department.

The news comes a day after a U.S. Department of Justice mediator facilitated a meeting with members of the Navajo Human Rights Commission, the police department and other city and community members.

"We want to take every step possible to do the right thing," Winslow City Manager Steve Pauken said Friday. "This is the nightmare of every city manager in America." [Winslow City Manager Steve Pauken seems to forget the real nightmare is for the family of Loreal Tsingine, who was murdered by this police for the petty crime of stealing a louse $20 case of beer.]

Pauken acknowledged that a Winslow officer's March 27 shooting of Loreal Tsingine, who allegedly brandished a pair of scissors after she was accused of shoplifting at a Circle K, has strained relations between the city and Native Americans.

"As much as you do your best to train cops and get them out on the streets," he said, situations arise that you can't anticipate.

Pauken said the city would not decide on any changes to the department until the examination of police operations was complete. Then the city will recruit a new police chief, which is expected to be complete around June 2017, he said.

Pauken was quick to say that Winslow Police Chief Stephen Garnett's retirement was not connected to the shooting. He said Garnett announced his retirement in 2011 and continued working for the city as part of the Deferred Retirement Option Program.

"I can guarantee you that the chief's departure in August has everything to do with the retirement program and nothing to do with anything else," Pauken said. "No more, no less."

Tsingine's cousin said Friday that Garnett's retirement was inevitable and his departure would help ease tensions between police and Native Americans in Winslow.

"(The investigation) is going to show how bad Winslow is," said Ty Yazzie, a spokesman for Tsingine's family. "Because of this, Stephen Garnett was going to retire."

Yazzie, who did not attend Thursday's meeting with the DOJ moderator, said he supported efforts to reduce liquor sales and to increase interactions between the city and the tribe. Currently, no Native Americans serve on the Winslow City Council, he said.

"The City Council needs to be more integrated, more diverse," he said. "Having city officials visit all of the communities ... would help give the City Council a better understanding."

Several people at the community meeting pushed to establish voting districts for City Council seats. City officials, however, said they disagreed and that any change would require a modification of the city charter.

"The purpose of the meeting was to begin the process of understanding concerns by Native Americans in and around Winslow regarding the tragic event that took place on March 27, and other issues that were aired by all concerned parties," Pauken said in a statement.

Tsingine, 27, who had a history of arrests, died in a confrontation with an officer who had a record of using force to control suspects.

In his three-year career at the Winslow Police Department, Austin Shipley held a suspect at gunpoint five times, drew his Taser four times and used physical force in at least three situations, according to documents provided from his personnel file.

Shipley was twice suspended for a day without pay: once in 2013 after he was found to have violated the department's code of conduct for using vulgar language with a 15-year-old girl, and a second time in 2016 for violating the department's Taser policy for shocking a 15-year-old girl as she walked away from him.

In a letter of disposition, Shipley received six months of disciplinary probation and was required to enroll in department-mandated training on the use of force and Taser deployment.

Shipley is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

At the time of her death, Tsingine was wanted on suspicion of breaking the terms of her parole in a case in which she admitted assaulting an officer.

According to police and court records, Tsingine was arrested three times in 2015 after accusations of shoplifting and confrontations with officers.

"With regard to the ongoing investigation into the tragic event of March 27, we are all waiting for the conclusion of the investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety," Pauken said in a statement Friday. The DPS report will be submitted to the Navajo County attorney. [You don't have to be a psychic to know the results of the investigation. The Wilslow piggies will investigate themselves and determine that Austin Shipley did nothing wrong, and give Austin Shipley another shot at murdering another Indian.]

The Winslow Police Department and DPS so far have declined to comment on any matters related to the case.

Once DPS has submitted its report, Winslow would begin conducting an internal investigation into Tsingine's shooting death, Paulken said.

"The Mayor, Council and staff of the City of Winslow continue to hold Loreal Tsingine, her family and friends, and all of the people involved in this tragedy in their thoughts and prayers," Pauken said in the statement. "We are resolved to do what is right for the benefit of the entire community."