Denver Police Union President Nick Rogers is calling for Police Chief Robert White to resign after he allegedly gave officers the order to stand down as anti-police protesters desecrated a memorial for fallen officers.
More than a hundred people marched to the Denver Police Department headquarters on Saturday in support of 17-year-old Jessie Hernandez, who was fatally shot by police during a criminal incident in January, a local CBS affiliate reported.
Two men were reportedly arrested for criminal mischief after protesters poured red paint over the memorial dedicated to officers killed in the line of duty, located in front of the police department.
Some officers were seen with tears in their eyes after the memorial was defaced, the station reported. Denver firefighters were later seen cleaning the paint off of the memorial.
The union president is outraged after he says officers were instructed by their superiors to not interfere with the protesters and to let the vandalism happen. Mr. Rogers says he and other officers are so upset about the decision that they are calling for Chief White's resignation, the CBS affiliate reported.
"There is no reason to allow someone to desecrate a memorial," Mr. Rogers told the station. "There is no reason to allow that to happen, it's wrong. ... We have a breaking point, and we are there."
"I will ask all 1,400 police officers to rally, and we will respond to the mayor's office in unison to hand him a letter asking for the chief's resignation," he added.
A police spokesman would not respond to the union president's comments, but Cmdr. Matt Murray said earlier in the day that it's protocol not to engage protesters, the station reported.
"We believe it's better for the community not to have conflict," Cmdr. Murray said.