To add insult to injury, ex RPD Officer Abdullah received a 38-day jail sentence and two years’ probation for kidnapping and framing 23 People (mostly black)...and the media never even mentions the other 7 RPD Officers involved. Let's fight back!
Hello Faithful Reader,
I hope this month's edition of the Black Birdseye View finds you well and in good spirits. This is a very long read because you have found me disheartened but still ready to fight. If you have been following the Black Birdseye View, you know that if I've asked it once…. I'll say it again…. I don’t understand why the Raleigh Police Department has not come under fire for its involvement in the unjust arrests 23 people (mostly black) on drug-related charges. I don’t understand why questions have not been raised about why only one of the eight officers named in the dismissed lawsuit against the City of Raleigh (for framing black people) was fired and charged. Furthermore, where is the explanation from Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman outlining how a 38-day sentence coupled with two years of probation is even remotely considered justice especially when the men RPD falsely accused faced a minimum of 7.5 years in prison. Why did only one officer face repercussions? Is it a coincidence that the officer in question is a black man? Why are we not questioning RPD’s procedures?...and a question no one has asked....WHO IS TRACKING THE 10 of thousands of dollars that RPD was said to have pumps into the streets of Raleigh on a regular basis so their crooked CI's can help "fight the war on drugs?" (That's the bigger picture) The city must address the credibility of RPD, given that the paid confidential informant, Dennis Leon Williams Jr, at the center of this had previously sold fake narcotics to the police department in 2018 and yet was still recruited as an informant.
Backstory: In the autumn of 2018, Officers David Chadwick Nance and (now ex) RPD officer Omar Abdullah of the Raleigh Police Department apprehended Dennis Leon Williams Jr., suspecting him of cocaine trafficking. During this arrest, Williams sold aspirin, posing as cocaine, to an RPD informant. The officers arrested him, and Williams was charged with selling fake drugs. RPD officer Abdullah and Nance went so far as to nickname William "Aspirin" because he was peddling counterfeit drugs.
Following the arrest, Officers Nance and Abdullah recruited Williams as a confidential informant for the RPD Vice Squad. Williams received formal approval for this role on August 16, 2019. However, he was later re-arrested for separate offenses. Still, he resumed his informant activities upon release, working closely with Nance and Abdullah. (Please note that Nance and Abdullah are on the list below)
Fast-forward to three years later, allegations of corruption within the RPD surfaced, implicating:
Lieutenant Jennings Bunch
Sergeant William Rolfe
Officer Rishar Pierre Monroe
Officer Julien David Rattelade
Officer Meghan Caroline Gay
Officer David Chadwick Nance
Officer Jason Gwinn
Omar Abdullah (who was terminated)
Confidential Informant Dennis Leon Williams Jr.
23 people (mostly black men) were framed and kidnapped by RPD. They were apprehended, charged, and held for up to two and a half years, with bail set as high as $500,000 and the threat of a minimum 7.5-year prison term if found guilty. The men faced severe consequences. However, the charges against them were eventually dropped due to malpractice, including falsified evidence confirmed by the RPD laboratory.
Excerpt drom dismissed lawsuit below. To read the full report CLICK HERE
A complaint against the city of Raleigh, NC, accused both "Aspirin" (Dennis Leon Williams Jr.) and the Raleigh Police Department of orchestrating false heroin trafficking charges in Wake County, North Carolina. Furthermore, it was revealed that RPD often procrastinated in sending the alleged "evidence" for lab verification, sometimes waiting weeks or months after the men were jailed. (You gotta ask yourself.... if there was no evidence.... why were the men arrested?) Whenever lab tests were finally carried out, the substances were always confirmed not to be heroin. Meanwhile, Williams continued to be employed as a confidential informant by RPD.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman went on record to publicly say:
"What we know so far is that we do have a confidential
informant who was providing false information to law enforcement and law
enforcement was relying upon that in making charging decisions,"
-Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman.
"None of us want to be part of a system where a confidential
informant is lying to law enforcement, and we're relying on that to prosecute
people,"
-Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman.
"Certainly, if at some point, we determine that the officer
was aware that the confidential informant was providing bad information, then
this review will take a different direction."
-Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman
"At this time, I cannot see criminal intent. I do, however,
see where things could have been handled better."
-Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman.
Freeman's comments suggest that she believes law enforcement's reliance on a dishonest informant was not deliberate but rather a lapse in judgment or process. This comes across as an attempt to deflect or dilute the accountability that should be placed on the RPD officers involved, especially when innocent lives have been so dramatically affected. Her statement that "things could have been handled better" is an understatement given the gravity of the misconduct involved—false arrests, potential years-long imprisonments, and a tainted justice system. Her use of the phrase "handled better" does not capture the severe consequences these men faced due to the actions of the RPD officers and the confidential informant. Freeman also indicates that if officers knew of the false information, "this review will take a different direction." This suggests a conditional willingness to hold officers accountable but doesn't necessarily reassure the public that the DA's office is actively pursuing all avenues of investigation with the rigor that the situation demands. Plus, RPD was aware of the CI's (Dennis Leon Williams Jr's) criminal background. Freeman's statements could be seen as hedging and noncommittal, and they do not do enough to restore public faith in a system that has shown signs of significant corruption and misconduct. Given the severity of the situation, the public should demand a more assertive stance on seeking justice and holding all involved RPD officers accountable.
District Attorney Lorrin Freeman spent months investigating these wrongful arrests, but rather than investigate all officers named in the complaint against RPD, Lorrin Freeman opted to only investigate RPD officer Omar Abdullah, and the RPD paid informant, Dennis Leon Williams Jr. Despite internal reports by Officer Monroe about the scheme, no corrective actions were taken by supervisory personnel. Remarkably, Officers William Rolfe, Rishar Pierre Monroe, Julien David Rattelade, Meghan Caroline Gay, David Chadwick Nance, Jason Gwinn, and Lieutenant Jennings Bunch were all reportedly aware of this malicious conspiracy but took no steps to prevent these unjust incarcerations.
First Lawsuit the City of Raleigh, NC Settled: In September 2021, the city of Raligh agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to the wrongfully arrested men because of actions by eight (listed above) implicated RPD officers, including Nance and Abdullah. Attorney Abraham Rubert-Schewel has represented 29 affected individuals—23 men and six women—in this case. None of the officers involved have yet faced fraud investigations.
Second Lawsuit the City of Raleigh, NC Settled: In June 2023 the City of Raleigh agreed to pay $350,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that former Raleigh police detective, Omar Abdullah, and others (listed above) fabricated drug trafficking charges, leading to illegal raids and the false imprisonment of Black women and children. A third lawsuit is still pending.
Fast forward to October 2023, ex RPD Officer Abdullah received a 38-day jail sentence and two years’ probation for felony obstruction of justice—a punishment that pales compared to what the innocent men could have faced. While Abdullah has been fired, the fate of his seven colleagues remains unclear, raising unsettling questions about accountability within the Raleigh Police Department. This case underscores a glaring miscarriage of justice. Such leniency hardly serves as a deterrent, spotlighting loopholes in the system and further crumbling the public's faith in the institutions meant to protect them.
There's an unsettling question in the air: How many black individuals in Wake County are currently locked up based on fake charges, courtesy of corrupt officers from the Raleigh Police Department?
Public Reaction:
I've seen this theatre before—a parade of town halls, panel discussions, marches, and protests, all orchestrated by community and city leaders. From afar, it's a beehive of activity; up close, however, it's all smoke and mirrors—pure performative activism. The status quo remains unshaken. So, how do we tip the scales?
THIS IS THE GAME CHANGER:
If you've ever found yourself behind bars in Wake County, you'd be foolish not to revisit your arrest paperwork. If any of the eight officers implicated in the dismissed lawsuit against Raleigh appear in your records, the timing couldn't be better to strike back.
HERE'S THE PLAYBOOK:
For Those Who've Been Through the Wake County Criminal Justice System:
Review your paperwork: Scour your case files for any of the following officers named in the now-dismissed lawsuit (and any confidential informant involved with the following RPD officers):
Lieutenant Jennings Bunch
Sergeant William Rolfe
Officer Rishar Pierre Monroe
Officer Julien David Rattelade
Officer Meghan Caroline Gay
Officer David Chadwick Nance
Officer Jason Gwinn
Omar Abdullah (terminated)
Strategize: Hire an attorney for a reevaluation of your case and go for the Jugular:
The best form of defense is a good offense. Command your attorney to:
Demand fair justice!
Clear your name!
Pursue financial restitution!
For Advocates and Concerned Citizens:
Demand accountability from Raleigh's finest—Lieutenant Jennings Bunch, Sergeant William Rolfe, Officer Rishar Pierre Monroe, Officer Julien David Rattelade, Officer Meghan Caroline Gay, Officer David Chadwick Nance, Officer Jason Gwinn, and the ousted Omar Abdullah. Call for a comprehensive review of ALL cases involving these officers, explicitly targeting any fraudulent activities. Let's overturn all drug-related charges because, let's face it, we have no idea how deep this quagmire of deceit runs within RPD.
Ultimately, the most potent weapon against systemic injustice is to Hit 'em where it hurts—their pockets. It's time the city paid its dues for the turmoil it's churned up in countless lives.
The recent revelations shouldn't fool us into thinking this pattern of police misconduct is new; it's just newly exposed. This is more than a wake-up call—it's a CALL TO ACTION. Spread the message.
Demanding accountability from the Raleigh Police Department goes beyond the specifics of these egregious cases. It speaks volumes about more significant questions of social justice and the very sanctity of the law itself. This isn't merely about righting immediate wrongs; it's an enduring lesson in the consequences of unaccountability, particularly for those bestowed to uphold our legal frameworks.
Until next time,
Robin Ess
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