As promised, City Desk has more from the Captain Melvin Gresham saga. The first installment provided a recap of events and the detailing of Gresham’s lawsuit against the D.C. police and various named officials. Gresham cited the Whistleblower Protection Act and various alleged conspiracies to get him and other top brass.
Here are some more allegations Gresham puts forth in his civil suit complaint:
- Gresham accuses then-Assistant Chief Jose Acosta of ordering him to “set up” Commander Winston Robinson. Acosta allegedly wanted Gresham to “assist in sabotaging Commander Robinson’s leadership initiatives.” According to the complaint, Acosta told Gresham that the order was at the “behest of the ‘Chief'” and if he didn’t comply he “would be targeted.”
- When Gresham forwarded this plot onto then-Executive Assistant Chief Michael Fitzgerald, he got nowhere. Fitzgerald, the complaint alleges, “distanced himself from Cpt. Gresham.”
- In 2004, Gresham alleges that he was ordered to “target” Lt. Rhonda Nunnally. He alleges that Nunnally’s superior Phillip Graham “sexually assaulted, sexually battered, harassed and subjected Lt. Nunnally to a hostile work environment.” Nunnally filed an EEO complaint and Graham was eventually discharged. Nunnally, the complaint alleges, was then targeted for retaliation.
- This is where things get really murky. The complaint stops being very specific with dates and names. But here it goes: “[Nunnally] was physically assaulted by Lt. Delgado and threatened with serious bodily harm,” the complaint states. “Cpt. Gresham witnessed the assault and attempted to arrest Lt. Delgado, but was barred from doing so by superiors.” It goes on to state that Nunnally eventually sued the District and Gresham agreed to testify on her behalf.
According to D.C. Superior Court’s online records, Lt. Nunnally’s lawsuit is still pending. A jury trial date has been set for October of this year.
I know I promised a response from Lt. Michael Smith today. But I’m going to hold off until next week. There’s more from the complaint including an allegation of bribery. I will tackle the bribery item on Monday!