Tell Ottawa Police Chief to Fire Abusive Police Officers
Stacy Bonds was arrested and taken into police custody where Sgt. Steven Dejourdy brutalized and strip-searched her in front of other male officers.
All she wanted to know was why they stopped her in the first place as she was walking home from a party.
This isn�t Sgt. Desjourdy�s first offense. Days before brutalizing Bonds, he kicked and tasered a young female prisoner in police custody. He pleaded guilty, but instead of being fired, he was only demoted for three months.
Sgt. Desjourdy and the officers involved are currently under an internal investigation, but they were caught on videotape. What happened to these women is tragic, and the Ottawa police department can�t keep letting his happen under the guise of an �internal investigation.�
Urge Vern White, Ottawa�s police chief, to fire Sgt. Steven Desjourdy and the other officers involved in the brutalization of Stacy Bonds.
Dear Mr. Vern White,
The brutal treatment of Stacy Bonds is a tragic mark against the Ottawa Police Department. Sgt. Steven Desjourdy's history of violent behavior against women under the guise of a law-abiding law officer cannot continue to be tolerated.
An "internal investigation" is unnecessary when there is video footage of the blatant mistreatment of Stacy Bonds. With such evidence, a lengthy internal investigation becomes an excuse to put off making the right decision.
By not making an example of Sgt. Desjourdy, you let the entire Ottawa police department carry the weight of his errors, and his reputation. In no way should the public be given more reason to associate police officers with the abuse of power, and this is an opportunity to prove that such behavior is not tolerated.
I am writing to urge you to fire Sgt. Desjourdy and the other officers involved in the brutalization of Stacy Bonds and take a stance against the abuse of power in your police department.
