CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS—Reform Sex Offender Laws Inc. (RSOL) and RSOL NM asks why those who have so strongly urged that we not rush to judgment on the police officers that fatally shot James Boyd and Mary Hawkes do not urge the same consideration for anyone else?Crusoe Gongbay, a prominent member of the University of New Mexico Lobo Football Program, has been accused of a sexual crime, and the rush to judgment has already begun. He was immediately indefinitely suspended from the football team by Coach Bob Davie.Brenda Jones, RSOL’s Executive Director stated, “Perhaps Chief Eden should take a lesson from Coach Davie who has chosen not to blindly defend his player in contrast to Chief Eden’s standard operating procedure of always justifying the officer’s conduct, regardless of what the evidence shows.” Jones went on to say, “RSOL is particularly troubled by the fact that the chief declared the Boyd killing ‘justified’ before the investigation had been completed and strongly implied at today’s news conference that Ms. Hawkes’ death was justified as well, despite the fact that the lapel video is mysteriously not retrievable.”Jones points out that, in connection to Mr. Gongbay, nowhere did anyone that we have read or heard say
, “Let’s not rush to judgment here. This is just an allegation. Let’s just wait and see how it plays out.” RSOL ASKS WHY NOT? Under our constitution, Mr. Gongbay is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It is well known throughout the United States that multiple Albuquerque police officers have been involved in questionable—some highly questionable—shooting incidents. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice stated in its report that many of the shootings were not justified. Nonetheless, any criticism of the killings is met with consistent responses from talk show hosts as well as law enforcement officials, such as,
“Now we need to wait and see; it may not be what it looks like. Remember, innocent until proven guilty.” APD’s standard operating procedures are that the officers are given three-days’ paid leave and are then permitted to return to work awaiting a final determination.
In contrast, Crusoe Gongbay was not given a mere three days’ suspension, nor is he allowed to return to the team awaiting a final determination. He was suspended indefinitely from the team, and although no report has said it, he is almost certainly prohibited from attending classes or being present anywhere on the UNM campus. His team suspension is due to the “very serious nature of the charges.” RSOL agrees that rape is a very serious accusation; however, it is most difficult for us to conclude that it is any more serious than the unjustified taking of another person’s life.
