MIAMI LODGE

FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE

th
710 Southwest 12 Avenue. Miami, Florida 33130
Phone (305) 854-5019
Ortiz@fopmiami.com

Javier Ortiz

Thomas Reyes

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

February 19, 2016

Miami FOP Lodge# 20 Reply to Ella Moores Letter
Dear Ms. Moore,
I am in receipt of your letter that was submitted to the Miami Herald and would like to address it.
You mentioned in your letter that I have made statements about Tariq Aziz. Just so you are aware, Tariq
Aziz was an Iraqi Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister and a close advisor of President Saddam
Hussein. I have never made a statement about him.
As for your comment about Ferguson, you are correct at least about that. I was there with several others
serving over 1,000 meals a day to St Louis Police Officers who had to endure the abuse of Black Lives
Matter rioters. I observed firsthand how police officers (African American, White & Asian) were pelted
with ball bearings and rocks by the Black Lives Matter group. Ferguson is where the hand up, dont
shoot farce originated from. As quoted by a witness that was interviewed by investigators with the
United States Department of Justice, Witness 108 refused to provide additional details to either county or
federal authorities, citing community sentiment to support a hands up surrender narrative as his reason
to remain silent. He explained that he would rather go to jail than testify before the county grand jury. As
detailed throughout the USDOJ report, those hands up, dont shoot accounts are inaccurate because they
are inconsistent with the physical and forensic evidence. Countless others contradicted or recanted their
accounts of what transpired. Hands up, don't shoot was built on a lie.
Unlike your group that represents only the interests of African Americans (as stated in your letter), the
Fraternal Order of Police represents everyone. WE DONT SEE COLOR. We see law enforcement
officers with the common goal of protecting and serving the community. Seeing that your executive board
includes the Mayors driver who unjustly was promoted to a Police Commander position because of
favors, I wonder why you dont speak against that unfairness. I wish that the MCPBA would show
outrage of the senseless killings and shootings that occur in our inner city areas on a daily basis. The FOP
doesnt support the Black Panthers because they have killed dozens of police officers during their
existence. The FOP supports equality.
I am proud to say that our boycott that was voted by the FOP membership is spreading nationwide. I was
officially notified today that the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police has joined our boycott. As in this
case, doing the right thing is contagious.
Fraternally,

Javier Ortiz
Javier Ortiz, President
Miami Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #20