Threatening allegations sent Richmond Police Chief Bisa French on paid administrative leave. She has been overseeing the officers in the second largest city in Contra Costa since last year.
An investigation is being done across three East Bay police departments, with the involvement of her daughter.
Apart from her, Sgt. Lee French, her husband, is placed on leave over his involvement, as reported by the Bay Area News group.
The issue revolves around the couple’s daughter, 18, Chief French’s legal representative, Michael Rains, told ABC7. The two said a certain Joe Goldman, 34, has manipulated their child into prostitution.
An investigation is being conducted by the Vallejo police at the residence of Goldman’s mother in Vallejo.
“They had gone to this guy’s mother, and talked to her and tried to get his mom to just say, ‘look, would you tell your son to please give us our daughter back? That’s all we want, we want our daughter back.’ As a result of that conversation, his parents, the mom, made complaints that they threatened to do something to the son,” Rains said.
According to court documents, the 18-year-old demanded a restraining order last week for her parents allegedly pressing her and even threatening her, the Bay Area News group said. The order was temporarily turned down.
US Marshalls in Richmond arrested Goldman on the same day. He faces charges for manipulating the girl.
The 18-year-old finished high school as Magna Cum Laude, French’s attorney said, adding that her mother is disappointed in what Goldman did to her.
“My discussions with her have been, you know, those of a mother who is worried about her daughter and what’s happened to her,” he said. “She’s not sitting there fretting over, ‘what does this mean for my job, what does this mean for my career?’ That’s the least of her concerns. Her concerns are her daughter.”
Chief French is on leave “because of an unfolding family situation,” the City of Richmond said.
The city manager, meanwhile, said: “It’s imperative that we let the investigations play out without distraction and in accordance with established protocols that assure an objective assessment of the facts.”
