RICHMOND, Va. -- Heated moments broke out in Richmond City Council Chambers on Tuesday night as the council prepared to head into a private briefing with Police Chief Gerald Smith about law enforcement procedures following the fallout from claims that police stopped a planned mass shooting at Dogwood Dell on July 4.
“All of this needs to come out to the public instead of us looking like we’re covering up something," said 8th District Councilor Reva Trammell before the closed session. "It should not be behind those closed doors."
Council President Dr. Cynthia Newbille said the City Attorney advised the body to hold the meeting privately because standard operating procedures related to public safety and dealing with potential threats would be addressed.
But Trammell called that a "spin."
"This is not a discussion about Dogwood Dell," Newbille said.
"It got spun around. We know it did," Trammell said.
Swirling questions began emerging from the public almost immediately after Smith made the initial announcement that a mass tragedy was thwarted at the Dell's Independence Day firework show where thousands were gathered, thanks to an investigation that followed a tip.
Prosecutors admitted under oath that there was no evidence of Dogwood Dell as a target of the alleged attack, and Smith's own talking points for the press conference boldly stated no location or time was ever mentioned by the tipster.
While Smith doubled down on Dogwood Dell as the target, citing his experience in law enforcement, he later apologized to the community for causing panic and said he'd work to address communication errors within the department.
Trammell was one of five council members who stood on the stage with Chief Smith on July 6 during the initial press conference when two men from Guatemala, who do not face charges related to planning a mass shooting, were accused of being involved in the alleged plot.
"I knew nothing about it, should've been notified," Trammell said. "I want to know, where is the report? I'm chairperson of public safety. It happened in my district. Those two Hispanic guys lived in my district three blocks from my house."
She added, "How do you think they feel, those two guys? Their reputation is ruined."
Though Trammell said "every citizen of Richmond needs to know" what was discussed in the closed session, other council members voted for it to remain closed.
"This is wrong, and you know it," Trammell said before the council moved into a conference room with Chief Smith and Deputy Chief Victoria Pearson.
Members spent about two hours in closed session, with two councilors leaving the meeting early. Smith and Pearson exited through a side door before reporters waiting outside the room had an opportunity to ask them questions.
9th District Councilman Mike Jones spoke with reporters after the closed session and provided a general summary of what happened without going into much detail.
"We had a robust discussion and very passionate discussion on what standard operating procedures look like, how we're informed as a council, what information should we receive, what kind of information we expect to receive," Jones said. "I don't think anyone is judging the job that they do. I think law enforcement, their job is so difficult that it's so easy to Monday morning quarterback. I think the greater issue was, how is this information shared? Discrepancies, concerns? How do we handle that in the press? How do we handle that in the community?"
Jones said he felt his "concerns were heard" and expressed frustration that as elected officials, council members were receiving developing information surrounding the alleged plot through social media and the press.
“I don't want to hear about it in the paper, because a lot of times, I'm sorry, y'all [the media] are our information. Twitter is our information, and as elected officials, that should not be the case," Jones said.
He also took responsibility for standing next to the chief on July 6 without knowing the full details in advance.
"I will not stand behind another press conference without being briefed up front, and I think that's something I learned personally. I mean, I have to take responsibility for that myself," Jones said.
He explained one fix to communication errors is that the city administration developed a plan where council members are now divided up by various department heads and contacted when emergencies occur.
Jones said he has not yet seen any evidence of a planned mass shooting plot, but he does believe it'll come out eventually. So far, no evidence has been revealed in state or federal court proceedings.
Legal experts have said the best chance of it coming out would be during sentencing if it exists and is strong enough to hold up in court. When Chief Smith was asked by CBS 6 in mid-August if he could commit to eventually sharing the evidence with the public when the time allows, he said, "I cannot."
"What they are able to share, be consistent. Be transparent in an area in which you can't divulge a lot of information which, you know, we all understand that, but again, say what you mean. Mean what you say, and let's move forward," Jones said.
