Gerry Whitman: Will Michael DeHerrera police brutality case speed chief to retirement?

The police-brutality controversy spurred by the attack on Michael DeHerrera -- which spawned yesterday's press event decrying violence against LGBTQ community members (to see photos, click here) -- has increased pressure on Denver Chief of Police Gerry Whitman. He defends himself and his force in today's Denver Post. But is...

By Michael Roberts

August 25, 2010

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The police-brutality controversy spurred by the attack on Michael DeHerrera -- which spawned yesterday's press event decrying violence against LGBTQ community members (to see photos, click here) -- has increased pressure on Denver Chief of Police Gerry Whitman. He defends himself and his force in today's Denver Post. But is Whitman also planning his exit strategy?

That's one possible interpretation of a story by Channel 4 investigator Brian Maass. He reports that Whitman "has signed up for Denver's Deferred Retirement Option, or 'DROP' plan, which means his career with the Denver Police Department will be over in five years, at most."

As DPD spokesman Lt. Matt Murray points out in Maass's piece, Whitman joined DROP this summer, before incidents involving DeHerrera, James Watkins, Marvin Booker and others riveted the public's attention on the question of alleged police misconduct.

Nonetheless, the resignation of Denver Manager of Safety Ron Perea is only one indication of the current scandal's potential impact. There haven't been widespread calls for Whitman's scalp thus far -- but word that he's already thinking about retirement could prove to be the equivalent of blood in the water.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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