Last night on the news, you saw the City's Southside Commander Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal make some extraordinary claims about his predecessor, Assistant Commissioner Chester Williams. When asked about the period of peace between rival Southside gangs that Williams had created between April and July - Vidal said it wasn't peace at all, and went on to explain it as a kind of accommodation with certain gangs that a senior officer, ACP Williams was involved in. That's an allegation of criminal complicity, and here's how he put it yesterday:...
Sr. Sup. Marco Vidal
"In terms of any peace having been, between whatever period you want to put it, as a journalist, if you would go in and speak to the very people who speak about peace, you would know that there was no peace and there was a number of underlined issues that prevailed during that same time. My policy is that I don't give any persons any break, in terms of breaking the law. If the criminals are not happy with that then we will enforce the law. And that's it."
"There were some persons allowed to do some things and others not allowed to do the same thing."
That was yesterday and since then ACP Williams has posted the following on his Facebook page, quote: "I am appalled by the comments aimed at discrediting me in the news today. Before and after my transfer from South Side, I have refrained from saying anything negative about my successor and I intend on maintain that...I will thread professionally with this matter by first consulting my attorney and issue a professional response after which I will be looking at taking legal actions."
So, there it is - the direct threat of legal action, presumably for slander - and Vidal wouldn't respond when the media pressed him on it today:...
Reporter
"Is this something that you are aware of and concern about?"
Sr. Sup. Marco Vidal
"Well I don't know if you want to promote conflict or promote peace. I am here to promote peace. Certainly I answered a question in exactly the manner in which it was asked. I have nothing else to say to that. If there is anything regarding police matters then I will, but in regards to that matter I don't need to answer any questions on that."
Reporter
"Sir, so you don't believe that you've been saying very inflammatory things about your predecessor. He says that he has not said anything bad about you."
Sr. Sup. Marco Vidal
"Well unless you are trying to help him with his case, I have nothing more to say on that matter. I am not going to be helping anybody with his case."
Reporter
"Have you been alerted of possible court action from this?"
Sr. Sup. Marco Vidal
"Well I don't know. I am hearing that from you. I know there are a number of things on the social media. I have my own opinion about the social media. But as I said I will not contribute to anything that is being said. I said what I said and I will leave it at that."
Reporter
"And you don't retract anything you've said?"
Sr. Sup. Marco Vidal
"As I said, I will say nothing else in regards to that matter."
We'll keep following this story.
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