TOLEDO, Ohio — The conversation around the city of Toledo's hire to combat gun violence continued Friday with organizations on both sides of the issue chiming in.
JoJuan Armour started this week as Toledo's program manager for the city's gun violence reduction initiative. Critics point to a 2011 incident where Toledo Police say he threatened to shoot an officer in the chest, and was charged with disorderly conduct.
The Toledo Police Patrolman's Association, the union representing Toledo Police officers, issued a dissenting statement Friday, while the Toledo NAACP voiced support.
TPPA President Michael Haynes said he spoke with Armour and feels he has turned his life around. Still, he will not endorse him.
"Although this is an outstanding story of personal perseverance and showing no ill will towards him as a person, Mr. Armour’s past is still troubling," Haynes said. "It’s not only troubling but is a direct slap in the face considering some of the officers involved in the crimes are still on the department. The city brought the police up to speed extremely late in the hiring process and it was quite clear the decision was already made."
Meanwhile, Toledo NAACP President Dr. Willie Perryman voiced support for Armour. He said the communication with the union could have been better, but thinks Armour is still right for the job.
"To continually bring up the past history of Mr. Armour is absurd," Perryman said. "W have all made mistakes and he has obviously turned himself around to become a productive citizen in our community. Aside from that, there have been other individuals with a criminal history far worse than his that the police and unions chose to support."
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said earlier this week Armour's life experiences made him the best candidate. Armour was most recently a student wellness and family liaison at the Columbus Arts and Technology Academy.