Note from Steven Zimmerman: This is a piece provided by an Officer at the El Paso Police Department. The image below is from a video in which Lieutenant Rodriguez responds to a shooting in progress after the scene is rendered safe and secure enough for him, as then acting commander of the Northeast Regional Command, to grace Officers with his presence. El Police mandates that the Regional or acting commander be notified of all incidents deemed a priority. He was informed, but over time, his bank accounts were more critical than those of his fellow officers or the citizens of El Paso. 

I will post a 45-minute video of Rodriguez and his no-urgency response to the call tomorrow. 

Again, Rodriguez, you are welcome to go on record with your side of the story. Remember, you have the right to remain silent and can construe your silence as tactful acceptance of all we allege. We’ve included a contact form for you at the bottom of this piece. The ball is in your court.

I sit in the shift meeting room, ready to begin the day on the second shift (evenings), as I speak harmlessly with my fellow Officers, wondering what this day will bring. It is well known inside our change that we are not supported and are the punching bags of hostility from our so-called leaders. We have supervisors who will not dare speak against our Lieutenant (Rodriguez) because they do not want to be in the crosshairs of his wrath. Please understand that the Lieutenant will deliberately place you on bad assignments out of spite if you speak against him or disagree with his point of view. This has been going on for years; we have had people transfer out and attempt to promote to escape his constant bullshit.

Some of us have spoken up, been blocklisted, and made an example for our colleagues. Lt. Rodriguez has no shift that respects him; he only gains any form of reaction from fear of retaliation. Lt. Rodriguez will smirk and grin at you in a defined manner of a smug boy-like demeanor. He believes he is “untouchable,” and the lack of support from our supervisors and the second floor seems to be correct.

Lt. Rodriguez will call you out in shift meetings in front of the other officers to degrade you, to push you down; this is exactly what a coward will do; this is a bully at its finest! Nobody dares speak against him; the verbiage and his criminal antics are nothing more than a “Hitler” mentality. Do we have to do the salute now to appease our criminal leader?

We have supervisors who are outright scared to death of him; they know should they speak against him, they will be crucified/ Sgt R. Thomas has had some questionable history while being an Officer and as a Sergeant. Sgt Thomas is Rodriguez’s messenger. Rodriguez will ask him to do something to find any intel, and Thomas goes off on a whim to satisfy his master at all costs.

The shift is not supported; we live daily, hoping to make it to our Friday to leave all the BS behind. I don’t know why this is allowed. If this were an officer acting as such, we would be gone and thrown out of the department without any questions. Why does the Chief’s office allow this? Why does the Commander not know what’s happening in his Region?

As a shift, we will listen to his aimless rants on financial advice and all the trinkets of his worth, his silver and gold bars, his DC comic collections, all selfish acts boasting in front of the Officers as most of us are facing financial hardship. 

I suggest you look into Sgt R. Thomas and Sgt E. Casteon (spelling) of Lt. Rodriguez’s crew, who will do anything to appease him. I will say, though, at least we know who the devil is. At least we can be weary of his presence.