Jason Victor Serinus eMail to City Manager John Mauro
Subject: Re: Chief Thomas Olson"s comments to the PDN
Date: Friday, August 26, 2022
Hi John,
I’m running late on a CD review whose deadline I missed, but I’ve been trying to piece
together what I know of the timeline. I must send this and then disengage from email so I can
do my work.
I first wrote the Chief on August 8 about security concerns at the Aug. 15 CC meeting, which
many feared would be filled with Jaman and Sousa supporters, and perhaps with Proud Boys in the wings. (THEY WERE THE VIOLENT ONES ALL ALONG, INCITING FEAR AND PANIC, MISINFORMATION VIOLENCE)
I Cc’d City Council members. I sent a second email about security for pro-trans
speakers at the CC meeting on the 11th. (WHY WOULD THE CITY COUNCIL TAKE A SIDE, WHY NOT DIGNITY AND SAFETY FOR ALL?)
(WHY DID OLSON CALL JASON, WHY DID THE POLICE AND CITY DISCRIMINATE AND CHOOSE A SIDE, AND NOT DIGNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS, SAFETY FOR ALL. WHY THIS GUY GETS A CALL AND NOT AMY OR JULIE ON THESE MATTERS)
Then I spoke with the Chief by phone on the 12th - he called me while I working out at PTAC - and learned of his plan to admit people from both Amy’s side and Beau’s side to the August 15 meeting. (That, thankfully, did not happen.) (THEY DENIED US DUE PROCESS BY VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION, BULLYING AND PHYSICALLY STOPPING US FROM SPEAKING AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING)
When we spoke then, I asked him how he planned to handle potential Proud Boy presence,
and was told that from his experience, they wouldn’t act unless provoked (to which I said to
myself… which means they very may well act, because no one can control who shows up at
the rally.) THERE WAS NO PROUD BOYS, AMY WAS A LIBERAL, JULIE A LIBERAL TO MY KNOWLEDGE. JUST BECAUSE ALL MEDIA PICKED UP THE STORY DOES NOT MAKE JULIE AND AMY SUDDENLY CONSERVATIVE. JASON AND OTHERS SPREAD SO MANY LIES THAT INCITED VIOLENCE ON AN 80 YEAR OLD WOMAN, AND THE REST OF US. THERE WAS NO HUMAN RIGHTS, EQUALITY, DIGNITY OF SAFETY. THEY ATTACKED US, SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE AFRAID OF BEING ATTACKED SO THEY ATTACKED?? WHAT?
I also asked if he planned to ask the Sheriff’s department for support, and was told
“No". I would think I discussed the rally at that time, but I won’t swear to that in a court of
law. Hey, I was catching my breath from my workout and sitting on the steps to the gym’s
second floor so I wouldn’t disturb other folks in the gym.
So the question, when were Thomas and the City first aware of the rally? I haven’t done a
public records request, but the day Amy Sousa applied to the City of PT for a rally permit
would be the day (unless he was monitoring her online.) She certainly announced her plans for
the rally as early as August 11. on the Dori Monson Show
So, that’s four days notice, not 2.5 days, for Amy’s rally. And concerns for safety inside and outside the August 15 CC meeting had been expressed well before that.
Please excuse if I don’t respond further until Monday. I’ve got to head to the music room and
then walk the Three Rabid Terrorers of Bell St.
Thanks so much,
Jason
On Aug 26, 2022, at 1:17 PM, John Mauro <JMauro@cityofpt.us> wrote:
A blind eye to what, Jason?
John Mauro | City Manager
From: Jason Victor Serinus <serinusjv@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2022 1:09 PM
To: John Mauro <JMauro@cityofpt.us>
Subject: Re: Chief Thomas Olson's comments to the PDN
Thanks John.
I wrote my note before the Leader’s latest interview with the Chief. He now says in
print that he only had 2.5 days to prepare. Really? My, how time flies. It is impossible to turn a blind eye to this.
Jason
On Aug 26, 2022, at 6:52 AM,
John Mauro <JMauro@cityofpt.us> wrote:
Thanks, Jason. I appreciate you passing this along. It’s easy to criticize the
police for too much intervention or not enough but I’ll let the facts of the
event tell the story.
We also take any lessons learned into the future as we determine how to balance people’s right to free speech in a public area with ensuring public safety.
Best wishes,
John
John Mauro | City Manager
THE FUTURE JOHN, WE WERE HARMED, ASSAULTED AND HAVE ONGOING ASSAULTS IN PUBLIC AND ONLINE, AND ONGOING PTSD. YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN A LESSON FOR THE FUTURE BUT NOT ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT HAPPENED? YOU HAVE NOT LEARNED YOUR LESSON. FIRST YOU HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED, TO START WITH YOU CHOOSING SIDES FROM DAY ONE WITH NO INVESTIGATION AND WITH COMPLETE PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION.
From: Jason Victor Serinus <serinusjv@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2022 7:38 PM
To: John Mauro <JMauro@cityofpt.us>
Subject: Chief Thomas Olson's comments to the PDN
HI John,
I sent this to City Council members on August 22. I’ve since learned that
you’re the person who interacts with the Chief. Hence I send it to you as
well.
Hope you saw my letter in this week’s Leader.
Thanks so much,
Jason
Dear City Councilmembers,
My thoughts will come as no surprise to those of you who communicated
with Police Chief Thomas Olson about the August 15 events in advance of
and on the day of the rally and Proclamation presentation.
MANY ON BOTH SIDES COMMUNICATED WITH OLSON. HE DID NOTHING TO SEPARATE THE 2 GROUPS AND ENDANGERED US ALL.
I spoke with Thomas multiple times. When we spoke on the afternoon of
August 15, he kindly clarified for me (and everyone else who had begun to
line up to speak at the meeting) where we would enter and how we
should line up. I shared that information with others, and ended up first in
line on the steps of City Hall.
I watched as people gathered across the street from City Hall, began to
chant, etc. I also witnessed one anti-trans protestor who came over to our
side of the street to plead with police to intervene after shoving had
commenced. As dramatic as she may have been, I have realized in
retrospect that there was due cause for concern. Yet the police I saw
were very slow to enter the crowd.
FIRST OF ALL WE WERE NOT ANTI-TRANS JASON. WE WERE SIMPLY INDIVIDUALS SPEAKING OUR THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS ON AN IMPORTANT LOCAL MATTER. WE WERE BEING ASSAULTED. THIS EMAIL SHOWS THAT IT WAS OBVIOUS WE WERE BEING ATTACKED AND OBVIOUS THAT THE POLICE DID NOTHING.
I am incredulous that the Chief says that the Port Townsend Police
Department lacked sufficient time to prepare for the August 15 protest. I
cannot be the only citizen aside from Council members and Sousa who
spoke with him and questioned if there would be adequate protection.
I specifically asked if he had asked the Sheriff’s Department for assistance.
The Chief was fully aware that anyone could attend the event. He must be
aware that the continued protests in Portland turned violent, not because
of peaceful demonstrators, but because of the black-masked few who
infiltrated demonstrations and acted out against police and property.
He must have seen the black masked people who showed up in the
afternoon as the rally was about to begin.
Yet he told Peter Segall at the PDN, “Our primary focus and goal at an event like this is life, safety and property. We can’t do that when my officers are intermingling in a
Crowd.”
How does ensure safety when one stands at arms length from those who
need safety? This event didn’t call for police intermingling; it called for
clear boundaries.
Why wasn’t a safety line of sorts established between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators? After all, there were Proud Boys present.
I DID NOT SEE ANY PROUD BOYS. JULIE AND AMY WERE LIBERALS AS FAR AS I KNEW. THERE WAS COMMON SENSE CONSERVATIVE FILMING, WHERE WERE THE PROUD BOYS THAT NIGHT? TO MY KNOWLEDGE NONE WERE THERE.
The afternoon rally could have turned into a major melee. While we’re
lucky it didn’t, the documented skirmishes that occurred have given
strength to those who would use trans rights, LGBTQ rights, and human
rights to divide the electorate. That in addition to the death threats and
More.
I respect and am grateful for a police presence. I am grateful that Thomas
was present for my calls and responded to community concerns. But I
remain unconvinced by his explanation.
jason victor serinus
Source of Public Records eMail
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RgJTWKQw9rAgCmvIw5xWFSR-6bXRpRY5/view?usp=sharing