LA MESA, Calif. — La Mesa Police Chief Walt Vasquez will retire later this month, the La Mesa Police Department announced Thursday. Vasquez has been in law enforcement for 34 years and has been chief in the East County San Diego city for five years.
According to LMPD, Vasquez delayed his retirement decision due to the coronavirus pandemic and opted to remain in his leadership role in order to assist the department and the City of La Mesa.
“Over the past five years, our team has worked very hard to keep the citizens of La Mesa safe. The decrease in property and violent crimes in the city from 2015 to 2019 has been the largest decrease of all incorporated cities in San Diego County," said Vasquez. “This is extraordinary, especially when you take into consideration that the La Mesa Police Department is one of the lower staffed departments in the county. Crime decreases of this nature are only achieved through hard work and collaboration with the citizens we serve.”
Vasquez's last few months with the department have been tumultuous at times. A protest against police brutality and use of force in late May came after a La Mesa police officer was caught on camera making a controversial arrest of a Black man he accused of smoking near a trolley stop.
Following the protest outside La Mesa Police Department headquarters on May 30 riots broke out in La Mesa in which several businesses were looted and two banks were burned to the ground.
Less than a week later, Vasquez and the department announced all charges against the man arrested in the video, 23-year-old Amaurie Johnson, had been dropped.
A town hall to address the riots on May 30 and other issues in La Mesa was being held Thursday night when Vasquez's retirement was announced.
Many residents who participated virtually reacted to the violence and looting that took place that night.
"It is the saddest thing I have ever seen," said La Mesa resident Ana Gaspar. "It s giodless, godless to do that to businesses and people, of all races and all colors. We should not be doing this to each other."
Another resident, Delane Hurley, claimed that she was also hit in the face with a bean-bag round during the daytime demonstrations.
"I am three inches from my eye taken out!" Hurley said. "I would be blind now ..... if it weren't for dumb luck or God or something intervening."
Not everyone was critical of the La Mesa Police Department's handling of the events of May 30.
"I just felt bad for our law enforcement and for the city to try to take this on when it just got too much out of hand," said La Mesa resident Robert Duggan.
Not everyone shared that perspective.
"We want justice, we want equality, we want fairness!" shouted community activist Tasha Williamson.
Earlier this month, the department released a statement saying the officer involved in Johnson's arrest was no longer employed by the department or the city.
The statement from the La Mesa Police Department read:
"The City of La Mesa and the La Mesa Police Department have received multiple inquiries regarding the status of Matt Dages. Matt Dages is not employed by the City of La Mesa in any capacity."
Protesters have also called for the job of another member LMPD detective Eric Knudson who fired a beanbag projectile at La Mesa woman Leslie Furcron on May 30 striking her in the head.
Subsequent protests in La Mesa have remained peaceful with Vasquez and other officers sometimes making contact with organizers and demonstrators. At a June 14 protest, Vasquez was seen shaking hands and hugging those demonstrating outside LMPD headquarters.
Vasquez began his career in law enforcement in 1986 when he became an officer with the San Diego Police Department. He became La Mesa's 11th chief of police in 2015.
Chief Vasquez's retirement will be effect Aug. 27, according to the department.
