In a slight improvement to their coverage of the violent crime wave gripping the nation the previous evening, the Tuesday edition of ABC’s World News Tonight reported that police departments, like the one in Oakland, California were overwhelmed by the situation. But while chief national correspondent Matt Gutman was speaking with the Oakland police chief, he refused to mention that the chief had begged the all-Democrat city council not to slash his budget by $17 million on Monday. He failed.
Given the facts, Gutman’s report was disingenuous. He began by showing off his ride along with Lieutenant Lisa Ausmus as she went from shooting call to shooting call within minutes. “She only had 38 officers on duty that night for a population of over 200,000 people. Half an hour later, the radio crackling again,” he gawked.
Gutman also highlighted just how out of control things were, including a conversation with Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong where the latter blamed access to guns:
GUTMAN: A city of 425,000, 65 homicides so far this year. How do you explain that?
ARMSTRONG: It's clear that violence is an epidemic in this community. It's clear that people have too easily access to firearms and are overly willing to use them.
GUTMAN: And it's not just Oakland. A recent survey of 72 cities showing homicide up nearly 20 percent over last year.
“[And] with the increase of scrutiny on police forces, law enforcement experts tell us that recruiting new officers and retaining existing ones is increasingly a challenge. The retirement rate has spiked since last year by 45 percent.,” Gutman concluded.
Of course, Fox News had to deliver the coverage ABC and the other broadcast networks refused to.
“Protesters spoke, politicians listened, now Oakland is paying the price, say police,” reported national correspondent William La Jeunesse on Special Report. He also had a soundbite of Armstrong decrying the actions of the Oakland City Council. “Crime is out of control in a city of Oakland and our response was for less police resources,” he told the press.
And that wasn’t the only thing Armstrong had to say about getting his budget gutted:
ARMSTRONG: Saturday night, I went out to a scene of a young man that lost his life and a lady yelled out the window, “do something about it.”
LA JEUNESSE: Monday, Oakland's police chief begged the city council not to fund his department.
ARMSTRONG: That additional 17 million that was reduced from police department's budget will have an impact. When you hear the statements from those that say nothing will change, that is not true.
“The chief had support from merchants in Chinatown and high crime areas of East Oakland. But the council of all Democrats voted 6-2 to divert the 17 million to social services and violence prevention,” La Jeunesse added.
As he was wrapping up, La Jeunesse recalled how “two armed robbers” had held up a news crew and Oakland’s director of violence prevention at gunpoint during an interview a few hours after the vote.
This is what the liberal media was trying to hide.
ABC’s refusal to admit that Democrats were adding to the crime wave problem by defunding the police was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Dell and WeatherTech. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
June 29, 2021
6:42:27 p.m. EasternLINSEY DAVID: Now to the surge in violent crime across the country. Children are not being spared. In Statesville, North Carolina, last night, a 9-year-old girl was killed and 7 and 10-year-old boys were wounded in suspected drive-by shooting just blocks apart. Across the country, police officers are the first to respond. ABC's chief national correspondent Matt Gutman with an exclusive look inside the Oakland, California PD, officers there racing from one violent incident to another.
[Cuts to video]
LT. LISA AUSMUS (Oakland Police Department): They're chasing a suspect with a gun right now.
MATT GUTMAN: The first call came in less than 60 seconds after we left the precinct. We'd come to Oakland for an overnight ride along on the so-called “Dog Shift.” When we got to the scene, a suspect was in custody, but he'd allegedly ditched a gun in a park.
AUSMUS: Did we find it?
GUTMAN: Full of kids. For this Saturday shift, Lieutenant Lisa Ausmus was in charge of policing the eastern half of the city. She only had 38 officers on duty that night for a population of over 200,000 people. Half an hour later, the radio crackling again.
There's been a shooting. Somebody's apparently down. Ausmus racing to assist her team.
AUSMUS: She’s got a gunshot wound to the head.
GUTMAN: Within minutes, Oakland's police chief arriving, telling us the victim died.
A city of 425,000, 65 homicides so far this year. How do you explain that?
CHIEF LERONNE ARMSTRONG (Oakland Police Department): It's clear that violence is an epidemic in this community. It's clear that people have too easily access to firearms and are overly willing to use them.
GUTMAN: And it's not just Oakland. A recent survey of 72 cities showing homicide up nearly 20 percent over last year. In Chicago, nearly 80 people shot over the weekend, six of them fatally. And in times square Sunday, this suspect accused of opening fire after an argument, a stray bullet hitting an innocent bystander, a 21-year-old Marine. Back in Oakland, Chief Armstrong says there's no easy remedy.
ARMSTRONG: Law enforcement won't be able to fix this problem itself. Violence prevention won't be able to do it itself and community won't be able to do it itself. It's going to take a collective effort from all of us to solve this problem.
[Cuts back to live]
GUTMAN: And Linsey, with the increase of scrutiny on police forces, law enforcement experts tell us that recruiting new officers and retaining existing ones is increasingly a challenge. The retirement rate has spiked since last year by 45 percent. Linsey?
DAVID: Right, and thousands of officers quitting in just the past year. Matt, our thanks to you.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
June 29, 2021
6:03:37 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Meantime, the police defunding movement is spreading to Oakland, California tonight. The police chief there is asking city leaders to put aside politics and put lives before political agendas. National correspondent William la Jeunesse has details tonight from Los Angeles.
[Cuts to video]
WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE: Protesters spoke, politicians listened, now Oakland is paying the price, say police.
CHIEF LERONNE ARMSTRONG (Oakland Police Department): Crime is out of control in a city of Oakland and our response was for less police resources.
LA JEUNESSE: Homicides up 90 percent this year. Carjacking’s 88 percent.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I was sleeping and it woke me up pop pop, pop pop. Then squeal, I heard squeal car taking off.
LA JEUNESSE: You can see the muzzle flashes this surveillance video. Shots fired after thieves attempted to steal a catalytic converter.
(…)
LA JEUNESSE: This 12-year-old took a bullet to the foot. Two cars peel away. Oakland PD finding a bullet and a jack left behind.
ARMSTRONG: Saturday night, I went out to a scene of a young man that lost his life and a lady yelled out the window, “do something about it.”
LA JEUNESSE: Monday, Oakland's police chief begged the city council not to fund his department.
ARMSTRONG: That additional 17 million that was reduced from police department's budget will have an impact. When you hear the statements from those that say nothing will change, that is not true.
LA JEUNESSE: The chief had support from merchants in Chinatown and high crime areas of east Oakland. But the council of all Democrats voted 6-2 to divert the 17 million to social services and violence prevention. One councilwoman blamed the doom and gloom on media hype.
(…)
