Thread: Officer's widow slammed by radio host

Officer's widow slammed by radio host
Radio host assails push for immigration reform
45 commentsby Casey Newton - Aug. 26, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Almost a year after her husband was slain by an illegal immigrant, the widow of a Phoenix police officer is at the center of a new firestorm over the immigration issue.

A talk-show host is taking shots at her for supporting what he calls "amnesty," and the Valley's police are rushing to her defense.

Julie Erfle traveled to Washington, D.C., last week with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon to advocate for immigration reform. Her husband, Nick Erfle, was killed last year by an illegal immigrant in an incident that sparked a furor over Phoenix police policy.
Erfle's trip led Bruce Jacobs, who hosts a morning talk show on KFYI-AM (550), to blast her position on immigration reform.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Julie Erfle," Jacobs said Wednesday, according to a transcript provided to reporters. "I don't know how you can look at your kids and do this. . . . When the next police officer is gunned down or killed . . . is it fair to blame you? Because I am going to give you partial blame.

"Put that in your legacy for your husband."

Jacobs' comments have been met with sharp criticism. At least one company has suspended advertising with KFYI in the wake of Jacobs' remarks. On Monday, a coalition of law-enforcement groups denounced Jacobs, saying he had "crossed a line."

"To do the kind of attack that this Bruce Jacobs did on the widow of a murdered officer that gave his life for this community less than year ago . . . is reprehensible," Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris said.

Casino Arizona has suspended September advertising on KFYI pending a review, a casino executive said. Police said McDonald's is also planning to withdraw advertising support, but KFYI said it had not received any notice and McDonald's officials could not be reached for comment.

KFYI referred questions about the calls for apology to Jacobs, who declined to comment.

"I don't speak to your lying publication," Jacobs said in an e-mail to The Arizona Republic.

At a news conference, Harris was joined by leaders of the Arizona Police Association, the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, and representatives from police unions in Phoenix, Mesa and Chandler.

"Bruce Jacobs, you coldheartedly attacked a hero's wife and family and attempted to disgrace his memory," said Nate Gafvert, vice president of the Mesa Police Association. "Your childish, personal attacks disgust me."

Police asked for a written and on-air apology from Jacobs and KFYI to Erfle and her family.

Nick Erfle was killed Sept. 18 by 22-year-old Erik Jovani Martinez, who was in the country illegally. Jacobs and others have blamed Erfle's murder on lax immigration-enforcement policies, including a Phoenix police rule that prevented officers in most cases from inquiring about immigration status.

That rule, Operations Order 1.4, was changed earlier this year so that anyone detained on a misdemeanor or felony is asked about his or her status.

In the furor that erupted after Erfle's death, Phoenix police noted that Martinez had been deported previously but managed to sneak back across the border. Police said that changing department policy would not have prevented Erfle's murder.

In the wake of her husband's death, Julie Erfle has made a handful of public appearances in support of immigration reform. She spoke in favor of revisions to the police policy earlier this year and traveled to Washington last week as a guest of Gordon, who delivered the keynote address to the Police Foundation.

Julie Erfle said she was upset that Jacobs criticized her advocacy efforts before she had even begun speaking in Washington.

"I was asked to speak on the human costs of illegal immigration, and I think I'm qualified to speak on that," she said. "For him to go on the attack like that without knowing why I went to D.C. or knowing what I was saying was pretty reprehensible."

Erfle said she would push for calm, levelheaded discussion of immigration reform. She advocates a policy outline from the Western Governors Association, also backed by Gordon, that would combine enhanced border security with a path to citizenship for those who are living in the country illegally.

In any case, she said she was not worried about what her husband would have thought about her advocacy work.

"I know he wouldn't be ashamed of me," she said. "I have felt very strongly ever since Nick died that there was some greater meaning to his death. . . . I think he would be happy that I was making something positive of it. He was a very positive person, and he would want something positive to come out of his death."
http://tinyurl.com/5uqaof

Ms. Erfle has my compassion, sorrow and prayers for no one can understand what she has gone through since her husband was murdered by a previously deported illegal alien. She has every right to express her opinion and compassion in any manner she chooses. But instead of giving compassion to illegal aliens, I will reserve mine for the families of the more than 50,000 Americans who have died at the hands of illegal aliens (murder, manslaughter and drunk driving) since 9/11/01. I will reserve my compassion for the victims and families of Americans who have suffered a crime from illegal aliens. I will extend my compassion to the Americans who have lost their jobs and have seen their wages depressed because of the massive influx of illegal aliens into the construction, landscaping, hospitality and service industries. I will also reserve my compassion for our brave soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families who have sacrificed so much. I HAVE NO COMPASSION TO GIVE TO ILLEGAL ALIENS...SORRY.

I agree Zee.

Personally, I was very shocked that this widow has aligned herself with Gordon and is promoting amnesty for illegals. She is the last person on this earth I ever would have expected who would condone a "path to citizenship" which would include the most vicious and violent amongst the IA population since there is no accurate way of telling exactly WHO these IAs really are.

But, as you say.....she is entitled to her opinion......

i hate to say it, but the radio show host was RIGHT in his critisism of the dead officers wife.
Where in the world does a statement supporting reform come from after your loved one is killed by someone illegaly in this country and then to stadn up and say "yea let them stay and give them amnesty"

SCREW THAT

She is a traitor to her husband's memory.

OK--this bad guy killed my husband/ Let's sift through theother 20 million and allow them to apply for a green card and citizenship.

There is an old expression about "rolling over in his grave" that applies here. Any fool that would go with Gordon has already condemned themselves and the police should be ashamed too. Why would they defend someone who is pro amnesty????

PS Hasn't chief Harris agreed with Gordon all along??????

Originally Posted by azwreath

I agree Zee.

Personally, I was very shocked that this widow has aligned herself with Gordon and is promoting amnesty for illegals. She is the last person on this earth I ever would have expected who would condone a "path to citizenship" which would include the most vicious and violent amongst the IA population since there is no accurate way of telling exactly WHO these IAs really are.

But, as you say.....she is entitled to her opinion......

I agree azwreath. What she is advocating would not have saved her husband from murder. He was killed by a criminal element and it appears she's been bought and sold by tools that are using her.

Police Chief: Radio Host Needs To Say Sorry
POSTED: 11:09 am MST August 26, 2008
UPDATED: 11:39 am MST August 26, 2008

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix police chief called on a radio talk show host to apologize for making disparaging remarks regarding a slain officer's wife.

KFYI talk show host Bruce Jacobs criticized Julie Erfle -- the widow of Officer Nick Erfle -- for advocating what police call a "reasonable immigration policy." Jacobs said she is pushing for an illegal immigrant amnesty program.

Nick Erfle was killed in the line of duty in September 2007 by an illegal immigrant he was trying to apprehend.

"I'm really kind of ashamed for Julie Erfle, too," Jacobs said in Thursday's broadcast. "To be honest with you, I'm ashamed for her to advocate policy that will lead to more murders of innocent people, including police officers. And really, in my view what she's doing is just a slap in the face to what her husband did, which is to uphold public safety and stand for the law."

Jacobs went on to say that Erfle's husband would be ashamed of her and blamed her for future crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

"When the next police officer is gunned down or killed, is it fair to blame you?" he asked. "Because I am going to give you partial blame. Put that in your legacy for your husband."

Police Chief Jack Harris called the attack "unacceptable," saying that police "will not stand for it." Harris also said his support of Erfle's family is not about immigration, but about protecting police officers and respecting their families.

Harris wants Jacobs to give Erfle a formal written apology as well as apologize on the air. He said he was disappointed with not only Jacobs but also KFYI and Clear Channel, the station's parent company.

Since Jacobs made his on-air remarks, two sponsors -- McDonalds and Casino Arizona -- have dropped their support of the show.

The police department said it is not advocating a boycott of Jacobs or KFYI, and it is not pushing sponsors to drop their support.

Erfle just returned from a trip to Washington, D.C., to speak at a Police Foundation conference on illegal immigration's effect on local law enforcement.
http://www.kpho.com/news/17301496/detail.html

What Bruce Jacobs said about Erfle
Aug. 26, 2008 11:13 PM

Bruce Jacobs' commented Thursday on his KFYI-AM (550) radio talk show regarding his verbal attack the day earlier against Julie Erfle.

The widow of the Phoenix police officer who was killed by an illegal immigrant spoke in Washington, D.C., last week, pushing for immigration reform.

Here are Jacobs' comments:

"Two separate things: Julie Erfle, the private citizen, the widow and the mother; and then Julie Erfle, the advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, which is fooling nobody, that means amnesty.

"Let me address the private citizen. The only thing I would apologize for is if I in any way - if this program in any way - had to make you relive what I'm sure has been a living hell for you and your family and your children since the 18th of September 2007, if this program has drudged up horrible memories and horrible thoughts for you or your kids, then I apologize for that. This program is in no way intended to do that. Neither are my views.

"But I also say that every time - be it myself or any other host on this radio station or any other radio station that talks about the illegal-immigration issue- the Julie Erfles of the world, and I don't just mean widows of police officers, I mean widows and victims who have been heinously and horribly violated by illegals, and there are thousands, multiple thousands across the country, I'm sure just talking about the topic brings back bad memories to the thousands.

"You know, Julie Erfle is not the only widow. There are thousands of widows . . .

"So if this in any way has had to make you relive the misery that you had to live through, I apologize for that because that's never the intention. . . .

"Now, Julie Erfle, the advocate, the public advocate of comprehensive immigration reform, which means amnesty: No apology. No apology. If you want to advocate for this policy, you will be the face and the voice of what will bring more destruction, more harm, more mayhem, more chaos, more murder and more widows and widowers.

"No apology. Zero apology for that part of Julie Erfle."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ote27.html

"Casino Arizona has suspended September advertising on KFYI pending a review, a casino executive said. Police said McDonald's is also planning to withdraw advertising support, but KFYI said it had not received any notice and McDonald's officials could not be reached for comment."

My question to Casino Arizona and McDonald's; How many ILLEGALS have you hired?

If you are not concerned about the Phoenix police officer; It doesn’t seem to matter if it is Police Officer in Houston attempting to safe guard his city, a high school student in Los Angeles standing in front of his home while his mother is half way around the world defending her country, or a father and his sons in San Francisco driving home all became targets of ILLEGALS and were murdered because of the greed of "our" Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors in search of "cheap labor" to help their "bottom line"!

I just do not understand how our President and our Congress can send our young men and women half way around the world in defense of the United States and refuse to defend our National Borders and Enforce our Immigration Laws while at the same time warning our military, for their own safety, not to wear their uniforms when traveling to "our" southern borders. Now our military can no longer leave their children at home in a "major United States city" and expect them to be safe or a least as safe as the parents in a "combat zone"!!

Our FAMILIES are at the mercy of ILLEGALS and their Anchor Babies being murdered, raped, infected with disease, or robbed. We can see the results of the ILLEGAL invasion in our courts every day! But NOT to worry the Chamber of Commerce will get their "cheap labor" increasing "their privatized" PROFITS while socializing the "benefits" for their ILLEGALS on the back of United States Citizens, thanks to Bush, the Congressional Leadership(?), and local elected and appointed officials!!

it is so strange that Julie Erfle would jump on the amnesty band wagon after her husband was murdered by an illegal alien.

We have never seen that happen before.

Julie Erfle is the lone exception at this time. All of the other victims families we have seen go into action do so on behalf of enforcement.

If I had to guess, I would suspect that Mayor Gordon and the pro amnesty creeps approached this grieving woman and fed her some bullcrap about how their plans could have saved her husbands life which is a complete crock!

Someone that is not on Gordon's side needs to have a chat with Julie Erfle.

She is probably a good natured woman that is being exploited by the pro amnesty people in her time of grief.

Julie Erfle needs to realize that if they legalize 15 million illegal aliens and turn them into voters there will be no significant future border security or immigration enforcement.

William Gheen
President, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC
www.alipac.us