Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Fired Fresno Cop Being Investigated Over Sacramento Protest
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
April 19, 2021

Share

Sacramento police are investigating whether former Fresno police officer Rick Fitzgerald committed a crime during a November rally.

“We can confirm that there is an active investigation involving that person (Fitzgerald) and an incident that occurred in Sacramento.  In order to protect the integrity of the investigation we are unable to provide further details at this time,” the SPD public information office said in an email to GV Wire.

Fresno police announced they fired Fitzgerald on April 9 for his association with the right-wing Proud Boys group. Neither the department nor the city have publicly disclosed what specific violations Fitzgerald may have committed leading to his dismissal.

Fitzgerald’s name does not appear in any court records, according to the Sacramento County Superior Court.

Fitzgerald Said He was Protecting Himself

In interviews with GV Wire and other media, Fitzgerald speculates his termination was related to a video of him at a rally in Sacramento on Nov. 21, 2020. The video shows a skirmish between different groups of protesters at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

At one point, it appears Fitzgerald — wearing the Proud Boys colors of black and gold — grabbed a flag of a protester, before  eventually letting go. Fitzgerald said he was acting in self-defense because the flag was hitting, or about to hit, him.

“You had these investigators who are saying that I committed a felony up in Sacramento and they have these pictures of me with my hands on the flag. But somehow none of them found the video where it shows exactly what happened. But they’re going to they’re going to show you pictures, but they won’t show you the video of why my hands were on the flag. So what kind of detectives do we have?” Fitzgerald said to GV Wire on April 9, the day he was fired.

Video, posted to YouTube, shows a man reported to be Fitzgerald grab the flag, then the flag pole in a tug-of-war. He and the flag appear off camera for a moment. When the flag is seen again, the man reported to be Fitzgerald is no longer holding it. Another man grabs the flag and starts hitting a female protester.

Fresno police have not made any more public comments about Fitzgerald’s firing.

DON'T MISS

With Fresno Budget $20 Million in the Red, Belts Tighten at City Hall

DON'T MISS

Humpback Whale Briefly Swallows Kayaker — All Captured on Video

DON'T MISS

California Braces for Rain as Winter Storm Causes Massive Pileup

DON'T MISS

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

DON'T MISS

Fresno Sub Teacher’s Immigration Queries of Students Spark Board Meeting Outrage

DON'T MISS

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Pick for Education Chief Outlines Plan to Dismantle Department

DON'T MISS

Trump Orders Mass Layoffs of Federal Probationary Workers, Warns More to Come

DON'T MISS

Two Students Injured in School Bus Crash Near Madera

DON'T MISS

Fresno Chain Sequoia Brewing Closing All Three Restaurants

UP NEXT

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

UP NEXT

250 Fresno Unified Bus Driver Jobs at Risk, Teachers Fear 12% Pay Cuts

UP NEXT

Kern County Baker Can’t Refuse Wedding Cake for Lesbian Couple: Court

UP NEXT

Mindy Casto Becomes Fresno’s Top Cop, Shedding Interim Tag

UP NEXT

City Center Unveils Real Solutions for Fresno Homelessness

UP NEXT

Strong Storm Expected to Soak Southern California, Raising Fears of Mudslides

UP NEXT

California Storm Brings Flooding Threat as Snow and Tornadoes Hammer US

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Fired Teacher and Coach Ed Madec Seeks Justice

UP NEXT

California Farm Donates Hundreds of Thousands of Eggs to Wildfire Victims, First Responders

UP NEXT

As Council Race Heats Up, Dyer Credits ‘One Fresno’ for New SE Sports Park

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

3 hours ago

Fresno Sub Teacher’s Immigration Queries of Students Spark Board Meeting Outrage

3 hours ago

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

3 hours ago

Trump’s Pick for Education Chief Outlines Plan to Dismantle Department

3 hours ago

Trump Orders Mass Layoffs of Federal Probationary Workers, Warns More to Come

3 hours ago

Two Students Injured in School Bus Crash Near Madera

5 hours ago

Fresno Chain Sequoia Brewing Closing All Three Restaurants

5 hours ago

250 Fresno Unified Bus Driver Jobs at Risk, Teachers Fear 12% Pay Cuts

5 hours ago

CA Schools Still Fall Behind Despite Big Increases in Spending

6 hours ago

Trump Wants Denuclearization Talks With Russia and China, Hopes for Defense Spending Cuts

6 hours ago

With Fresno Budget $20 Million in the Red, Belts Tighten at City Hall

Fresno is facing a $20 million budget shortfall, city officials said in a mid-year budget report to the city council on Thursday. And, it co...

2 hours ago

2 hours ago

With Fresno Budget $20 Million in the Red, Belts Tighten at City Hall

2 hours ago

Humpback Whale Briefly Swallows Kayaker — All Captured on Video

3 hours ago

California Braces for Rain as Winter Storm Causes Massive Pileup

3 hours ago

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

3 hours ago

Fresno Sub Teacher’s Immigration Queries of Students Spark Board Meeting Outrage

A public works employee builds sand berms to protect homes along the beach from expected storm surge in Capitola, Calif., Feb. 13, 2025. A large swath of California was bracing on Thursday for an intense bout of rain that could lead to flooding and cause debris flows in areas recently burned by wildfires. (Nic Coury/The New York Times)
3 hours ago

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

3 hours ago

Trump’s Pick for Education Chief Outlines Plan to Dismantle Department

Protesters hold banners during a rally in front of the Office of Personnel Management, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington. President Donald Trump is relying on a relatively obscure federal agency to reshape government. The Office of Personnel Management was created in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and is the equivalent of the government's human resources department. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
3 hours ago

Trump Orders Mass Layoffs of Federal Probationary Workers, Warns More to Come

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend