“Personnel Matter” is Bureaucrat for “Misdemeanor”
Both The OC Weekly and The OC Register have picked up the Uber-Failus story of Joe Felz.
According to The Register the City Attorney, Greg Palmer, said “the incident is a personnel matter but declined to elaborate”.
Let us look at that “Personnel Matter” shall we? First we’ll reference our fallen Sappy McTree.
According to Chief Hughes’ memo to City Council “the city manager was involved in a minor single vehicle collision”. Okay. That explains the tree but not what happened.
For context Sappy McTree is knocked down facing West which means that he left this mortal coil after being struck from an Easterly direction. The following is a photo of a skid mark which starts near Sappy’s remains and continues west.
It continues for 176ft. How do we know? Because we measured it.
“So what?” some of you will comment. The “So What” is California Vehicle Code 20002 (emphasis mine):
20002. (a) The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to any property, including vehicles, shall immediately stop the vehicle at the nearest location that will not impede traffic or otherwise jeopardize the safety of other motorists. Moving the vehicle in accordance with this subdivision does not affect the question of fault. The driver shall also immediately do either of the following: (1) Locate and notify the owner or person in charge of that property of the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle involved and, upon locating the driver of any other vehicle involved or the owner or person in charge of any damaged property, upon being requested, present his or her driver's license, and vehicle registration, to the other driver, property owner, or person in charge of that property. The information presented shall include the current residence address of the driver and of the registered owner. If the registered owner of an involved vehicle is present at the scene, he or she shall also, upon request, present his or her driver's license information, if available, or other valid identification to the other involved parties. (2) Leave in a conspicuous place on the vehicle or other property damaged a written notice giving the name and address of the driver and of the owner of the vehicle involved and a statement of the circumstances thereof and shall without unnecessary delay notify the police department of the city wherein the collision occurred or, if the collision occurred in unincorporated territory, the local headquarters of the Department of the California Highway Patrol. (b) Any person who parks a vehicle which, prior to the vehicle again being driven, becomes a runaway vehicle and is involved in an accident resulting in damage to any property, attended or unattended, shall comply with the requirements of this section relating to notification and reporting and shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to the penalties of this section for failure to comply with the requirements. (c) Any person failing to comply with all the requirements of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
If City Manager Felz dislodged his vehicle from the tree and drove for an additional 176ft, doing damage to the road in the process, before the police were called he committed a misdemeanor for fleeing the scene even if he didn’t get very far in the process. As he allegedly lives up the street from the accident and was likely driving on rims, thereby causing the road damage, one would be foolhardy to assume that he was simply trying to find a safe place to park besides on top of Sappy McTree.
Why it’s almost as if we have our own little aristocracy here in Fullerton and the rules don’t apply to them. Their “Personnel Matter” is a “Misdemeanor” for the hoi polloi.
It’s simple. Felz tried to drive away because he was drunk.
LOL good luck with that stretch. He stopped and safely parked. Called the cops. He wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t over .08. I saw the body cam video. It’s all documented. Don’t make yourselves look like morons before it’s too late LOL.
And he a fled on foot, chased by officers and taken into custody at gun point.
LOL yes that too. I heard he spit at the cops too.
Safely parked? Hahahahaha. He backed off the poor tree and drove a 200 feet in a dying arc on his rims. By the time he stopped the cops had showed up and he gave it up.
The lady whose tree he killed called the cops. Felz called one cop – Chief Danny.
Reality is, do you remember Andy Avila?
His car was stopped on top of the tree. He then started his car and moved his car 175+ feet away doing damage to the road (city property) and likely his car in the process.
But you keep being you.
Man, that pavement is a freaking disgrace. Good thing there’s plenty of dough to pay Felz and Danny $200,000 a year to tear it up even worse.
They make much more than 200k a year and are both about to make more than that sitting at home. Well deserved however.
Paying Felz to stay home might be a cheap alternative. He’s driven the city into a sea of red ink – almost $50,000,000 in four years.
That’s what happens when you put a guy who got started handing out volleyballs at the park in charge of a city.
50 million. Come on. Use facts. Not BS. Budget is balanced.
So that arc-shaped line is a gouge made by a wheel rim? That would make sense if the front right tire popped off when Felz hit the curb.
Looks like the driver tried to get away before realizing the jig was up. Then he speed-dialed the man he made Fullerton’s Chief of Police – Danny.
And why IS this a “personnel matter?” It’s a case of drunk driving. It has NOTHING to do with Felz as a city employee – there’s your cover up.
Because Felz was “on duty” patrolling the sidewalk for suspicious trees.
Joe. It’s not a drunk driving case. That’s the point you are missing.
We’ll see once they release the audio & video.
Hi. Dan? Did I wake you up?
Sorry, just wanted to say hi, and that I totally haven’t done anything and I absolutely haven’t been drinking or snorting coke off of a dead hooker or anything, so really I don’t even know why I called. By all means don’t call anyone or intervene in any way, because there’s totally nothing to intervene in. Also, how long does it take for alcohol to metabolize in the liver before.. Ha, there I go with my random thoughts that have nothing to do with anything. Uh anyway, see you at the party!
Was a breathalyzer administered?
Yes it’s on the video.
This video?
“Joey was a race car driver”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBQ2305fLeA
…I mean who else can rock a six string fretless bass like this guy in Primus, and still sing about a drunk driver crashing into inanimate objects, and make it all sound so good?
The same laws apply to everybody. Why is he given special treatment. Oh that is right, because he is in a higher position. Corruption in the City of Fullerton. Where is the outcry? Nobody causes this much damage, it is evident that there was much more to it, but because police failed to do a proper job by not given him the breathalyzer test, we will never have proof that he was under the influence. Fullerton police should be ashamed, this is not proper protocol. Everyone should abide by the law, and if they don’t, should be punished.
Because he wasn’t drunk? You know you can drink and drive right? You just can’t be over .08. He wasn’t. Don’t listen to the non factual haters. You sound like the Hillary supporters.
So Joshua Ferguson is part of the behind the scenes story here. Tell us about yourself Joshua.
Joshua: “You first.”
Reality Is: “Sociopath”.
Narcissist.
Felz received a final gift from Chief Hughes.
https://i.imgsafe.org/4ff6b74f48.jpg appears to be a collision while driving north & failure to make turn or just testing out his four wheel drive?
This might be the last known photo of poor young Sappy McTree.
Sappy had grown up a bit since the, But still far too young.
Yesterday was hard. When the tree surgeon emerged from the OR we held our breath. But ’twas not to be.
He hardly had a chance to do his bit in the fight against global warming; never got a chance to cross pollinate.
Sappy McTree was worth fifty Felzes. He will be missed.
Yeah he’s was heading up Highland and going too fast/loss of motor control while trying to turn left. Then BOOM.
Coincidentally, I drove by there just a few days ago. When I left the intersection young Sappy McTree was alive and well!
Miss me? Yeah, didn’t think so.
I did want to take this opportunity to comment on the Kelly Thomas verdicts……told ya so! That’s the last you’ll hear from me on the subject, other than to again say that the politically motivated filing of criminal charges against ANYONE should be of great concern to EVERYONE.
That having been said……this whole situation sounds fishy to me. Felz should have insisted on a breathalyzer if he only had one beer, knowing how this would be (rightfully) spun in the press.
Let’s see how Whitaker, who has taken so many other city employees to task over alleged malfeasance, handles this one. I suspect we will hear only crickets.
Yeah you told us so. I guess. I don’t remember you, but hey, you had our criminal justice system pegged if that what you said.
Jesus, you and O’Malley should start a club, What have you been doing for four years? Checking in on FFFF every day?
Yes , let’s see what what Whitaker will do. He was the only one right on Kelley Thomas/
He did take a PAS.
If he took a PAS, even if it was just a screen and not the formal test, then the result should be verifiable. For those who don’t know, breath test results, including non-arrest screens, are retained and uploaded to the OC Crime Lab. It’s not something that could be deleted by an officer or anyone at the PD. So if he took a PAS as Reailty Is says, his BAC should be something that will eventually turn up. If for some reason they used a device not currently in use by the OC Crime Lab (anything other than an AlcoSensor@PointOfArrest system), then that would be highly suspicious.
Felz did not take a PAS if Felz had, Hughes would have said he blew less than .08 on his press release. I’m sure Danny told Felz not to take a PAS. The cops on scene say that Felz was falling down drunk and Sgt. Corbett did not do any type of FCT test on Felz. The video is going to look bad. Knowing Hughes as I do it’s predictable what is going to happen. When the video is released. Hughes will throw Corbett under the bus. Hughes will say that he told Sgt. Corbett to do an FCT and Corbett failed to do his job. Hughes does not want to risk his new job with Disney. When the officers videos are released there will only be 4 and not 5 because Corbett turned his off.
PAS devices don’t hold records or printouts. Sorry.
Also want to add that people need to investigate whether it was a car provided by the city as part of his employment contract….which opens up so many other questions, like would attending a re-election party be considered legit city business to use his car for, violation of city policy for driving a city vehicle after consuming alcohol, etc. Many potential violations of city policy here.
“people need to investigate”
What “people” would those be? FPD?
Joe and Barry will look into it. Wait? they both just got fired!
Regarding the potential VC20002(a) violation….if he was at the scene upon the arrival of police, no way is that ever going to stick. That having been said, 176 feet is suspicious as hell and certainly consistent with someone riding on a rim far enough to think, “I’m not gonna get away with this, I need to stop.”
Yes, that is quite suspicious. When I was in Iraq, I saw lots of guys juiced up on Pruno who couldn’t take that left hand turn while coming up a hill too fast.
Time will tell, I suppose.
I’ve been spending every day, watching, waiting, hoping for the return of FFFF. Not really.
Forgive me for being a voracious reader of news and a follower of city government. For the record…..saw the OC Reg article, clicked on a link in reader comments, and to my surprise here I am.
The past four years have seen the decimation of the formal press, and they can no longer be relied upon for thorough, objective or accurate reporting. Blogs like this, even with a clear bias, serve a valuable purpose these days, shining light on the dark recesses of government. There are too many people in government, including police departments, who will try to get away with BS if nobody is looking. So somebody needs to be looking. And government and police departments need to know they are looking. Might as well be FFFF doing the looking.
Welcome back, FFFF. Now go to hell. 🙂
Well said….so true! Between the puff and fluff of the OC Register and the $5000.00 per month the city of Fullerton spends on the propaganda machine “Behind the Badge” the casual reader may believe all is well in Tiny Town. I will say the source of the Fullerton PD cancer has now retired but not before Hughes promoted his like minded, we are above the law, rules don’t apply to me, Danny Hughes clones through out the department.
Without this blog up and running for the past 3 years Hughes was given a free pass to pull his bullshit. It’s a shame Hughes will not be around for the look back at his legacy but maybe Disney is reading and now understanding just what they are getting.
DannyBoy is always watching. He loves you guys. He toyed with you guys from the start and treated you guys like a puppet. From wanting to go Sheriff’s to campaigning against him being Chief, he kicked you guys asses to the moon and back. Amazing.
I have a friend who was no friend of the FPD. They went after him for a “hit and run” that was supposed to have taken place in front of his own place of business in broad daylight.
Naturally our swine of a DA decided to prosecute.
Only problem was there was no witness, no evidence, no crime – just few of FPDs finest following in the intrepid footsteps of their boss Hughes. In the end the DA tried to sell a plea bargain then a “spit and acquit” and when that failed they dropped the whole thing. But the fact is they tried to pin a felony on a completely innocent person, even as their own multitude of felonies was whitewashed, ignored, talked away by Hughes and his accomplices on the city council – Flory, Quirk, Chaffee, Fitzgerald.
And now the city manager’s DUI hit-and-run gets a pass as Hughes is out the door. But there’s no “Culture of Corruption.” We’re just uninformed!
Your friend was guilty. He just paid off the DA like everyone else does. Just like the last clowns that lied and got off.