An Open Letter to LVMPD Sheriff Doug Gillespie From Stanley Gibson’s Widow
Kelly W. Patterson shared this open letter, written by Rondha Gibson and originally published by Nevada Cop Block, via CopBlock.org’s submit page.
Doug Gillespie,
I know your name. It’s a name I will never forget, along with Jesus Avalero. My name is Rondha Gibson. I’m sure you remember my name too, but do you remember what today’s date represents? For me, it’s something else I can never, ever forget.
Today marks two years since Stanley Gibson was shot and killed while sitting unarmed and incapacitated in his car on December 12, 2011.
He was my husband and he was murdered by Officer Jesus Avalero, who you once called dependable and stated you would stand behind. Fortunately, two years later your opinion about that has seemingly changed. Now you say he is responsible for my husband’s death, although you still refuse to call it murder. While you finally had the decency to at least fire him, you still haven’t held him accountable for his actions that day in any legal manner.
Essentially, his “punishment” for shooting my husband, who was both unarmed and innocent, is to have to find another job (after having spent slightly less than two years sitting at home collecting a full paycheck). I don’t doubt that he will cash in on some connections he made while with Metro to get some cushy security job or something such as that. That’s not a true punishment, it’s an inconvenience.
Meanwhile, the last 24 months of my life have been nothing but hell. While Jesus Arevalo was on paid vacation (AKA “administrative leave”), I was struggling just to pay my rent and other bills. In all that time, I’ve hardly even really had a chance to grieve for my murdered husband amidst all calls from collection agencies wanting me to pay for Stanley’s funeral, which I couldn’t even afford.
You once claimed at the inquest that you were in contact with me everyday and that you publicly apologized to me, calling Stan’s death a mistake. Even that’s a lie. We never even talked until after that inquest and that only happened because Steve Sanson of VIPI asked you to come and talk to me. That was the first and only time we ever spoke and the apology you gave then was not worth the breath it took to deliver the fake sentiments it represented.
In the 24 months since Stanley was taken from me by Jesus Arevalo and the culture of lawlessness that you continue to enable within Metro by refusing to hold anyone accountable for their actions, no matter how heinous, I had only two requests for you:
That Stan’s medals and other personal belongings from that day be returned to me.
And that someone be held accountable for his murder.
Finally, his medals came home after a lot of unnecessary stalling, but still nobody has actually been held accountable for Stanley’s murder. Simply being fired isn’t punishment enough for taking the life of another person. I will not just be standing back and accepting that, either. My third demand is your immediate resignation as sheriff and I will renew that demand for every one of your successors until they create true accountability within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
No more members of this community should have to walk around in fear that they will be shot down in cold blood by cops, who know they have no chance of being punished for their actions. No more families should have to deal with the loss of loved ones and the knowledge that accountability is not even an option for Las Vegas area cops, as I and way too many other have had to. I will not rest until genuine changes are made.
I am Rondha Gibson, widow of Stanley L Gibson, a Disabled Veteran murdered by LVMPD Ofc. Jesus Arevalo. I was victimized by members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, but I am finished being a victim.
Rondha G.
NEVER FORGET STANLEY L. GIBSON
