Offier who murder Lobato threatened ex's boyfriend

The Denver Post is reporting that Ranjan Ford, the cop who murdered Frank Lobato, threatened to kill his ex-wife's boyfriend.

The Denver police officer who shot an unarmed man Sunday allegedly threatened to kill his ex-wife's boyfriend and take his daughter back last year, according to a court document.

Those allegations against Ranjan Ford Jr., who has a spotless police record, emerged during a bitter custody fight with his estranged wife over their only child, Tiffani, now 8.

In an Adams County court motion opposing the return of his daughter, Michelle Ford claimed her husband "has threatened, in the presence of the minor child, to 'keep' her and not return her to her home with her mother," wrote the wife's attorney, Patricia McEahern.

He also harassed his wife, who had petitioned for divorce, once calling her 10 times in 15 minutes and causing her "to fear for hers and the child's safety," McEahern wrote.

"He has additionally threatened to kill (Michelle's) boyfriend if Tiffani has contact with him."

Lest it's readers get the impression that Ford might not be the impeccable person that the post has been selling them, the Post uses the rest of the article to quote another cop who reminds people that Ford is a stellar officer.

David Olinger is the reporter and he is the same person that wrote the article that portrayed Frank Lobato, the unarmed victim of Ranjan Ford, as a "menace to society." Olinger also plays up Ford's "credentials" as an anti-racist officer so as to defuse the fact that Denver Police Officers primarily murder poor people of color.

The Rocky Mountain News has also gotten into the act by running it's own series of articles aimed at portraying Ford as a virtous, flawless cop who acted in the heat of the moment, when confronted by a 5'2, 120 lb, invalid, sleeping 63 year old, who may or may not have been armed with a deadly aluminum can. The headline in today's RMN's article is Officer lauded as generous, honest. Here is a blurb.

"I asked him once about being a police officer, and he said he wants to do a job and do it well. He just wants to be a good cop."

Ranjan Ford was well-known in Texas for his community involvement. He assisted with benefit golf tournaments and became involved with the Toys for Tots program as soon as he joined the Jasper Police Department.

"He spoke by his deeds, not by saying this or that," said Jasper Police Chief Stanley Christopher. "But if someone needed something or needed him, he was always there."

Jane Lackey, a member of the Sam Rayburn Country Club in Sam Rayburn, Texas, where Ford often played, said the young policeman was a devoted husband and father. "He's a real family person. It was real important to him." full article

By the time this is over, Ranjan Ford may be a serious contender for John Hickenlooper's job in the next Denver Mayoral race.

Larry Left Hand Bull and Leroy Lemos managed to get community views into the mainstream media as they were quoted in Tina Giego's column.

Here we go again.

I heard those words from a minister Tuesday as he thundered from a lectern during a news conference about the latest police shooting. I say "latest" because the past tells us that there will be others.

"Carousel of death," was the phrase used by Larry Left Hand Bull to describe the again and again and again of questionable police shootings. Catchy, isn't it?

Bull said he sat on the mayor's police reform task force for 108 days. It was formed to help prevent something, like, oh, I don't know, a cop climbing a ladder into a second- floor window and shooting an unarmed invalid in bed after the suspect had already escaped out a back window no one was watching. full article

Larry was recently named to the Public Safety Review Commission(PSRC). Let's wish Larry the best luck in taking on what seems to be an impossible task.