Troy Torres: Don't blame me; Gov Calvo stands by him
(Updated at 7:07 p.m)
The July 7 incident at the Guam Tumon BBQ party, better known now as the "gun grabbing" incident, has resulted in four misdemeanor charges against Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio, charging him with reckless conduct, reckless conduct with a firearm, obstructing government functions and official misconduct.
No felony charges were handed down.
Tenorio faces a court appearance October 3, before Judge Benjamin Sison in Superior Court.
According to court documents, Tenorio attempted to remove police sergeant Carl Cruz's loaded service revolver from its holster six times. Tenorio later presented this as an educational effort about the need for officers to properly secure their weapons.
According to the documents, after the first thwarted attempt, Tenorio persisted. "Tenorio reached at the release/retention button on officer Cruz's holster and proceeded to lift his firearm out of it. Tenorio then took hold of the gun with both hands and transferred it to his right hand and held it with his thumb and index finger at the lower portion of the receiver. In this orientation, the lieutenant governor held the firearm at eye level dangling its barrel in the direction of officers who were sitting on the tailgate of the official police vehicle assigned to (an) officer,"
Witness testimony also suggested that Tenorio reeked of alcohol and was red-faced at the time.
A statement from the lt. governor was released Tuesday by Adelup, blaming the police complaint and subsequent charges on Troy Torres, a former, but estranged staffer of the Calvo-Tenorio administration. Torres had no personal involvement in the July 7 incident and unlike the police officers and other witnesses quoted in the complaint, was not on the scene.
Tenorio said: "After all my years in public service, the people of Guam know who I am. The people know where I came from and how hard I work for them. Our people are my only interest. I am absolutely confident that what I did was in the interest of public safety and I will be found innocent of these misdemeanor allegations, that stem from a politically-motivated complaint filed by Troy Torres."
Torres issued the following statement responding to Tenorio’s claim.
"The fact that Ray Tenorio is blaming me for the criminal charges filed against him by the Attorney General makes me question whether he is actually mentally competent and fit to hold his current position as lieutenant governor of Guam.
At this point I’m not sure if we, as a community, should invoke 10 GCA § 82202 or 3 GCA § 1121.
I was not in Tumon nor anywhere near the Block Party on the night that Ray Tenorio was drunk, repeatedly grabbing a police officer’s gun and pointing a loaded weapon at law enforcement officers. I was not there when he committed reckless conduct. I was not there when he first lied about it publicly and blamed the officer. I was not there when he then changed his story and apologized over and over and over for his actions. I was, however, at the Dededo precinct several days later where I proudly filed a police report based on his actions as is my right as a citizen of this island.
So if Ray Tenorio is blaming me for the criminal charges filed against him then he is wrong. That is his own fault. If he is blaming me for making sure his reckless and shocking actions did not get swept under the rug well, then, guilty as charged. I filed that report to make sure the corruption of this Administration did not continue to permeate through the darkness and that it would be brought to light.
I did it to ensure that those brave police officers were not retaliated against for standing up against this pathetic excuse for a leader. And I did it for every man, woman and child on this island who is fed up with the evil acts of our leaders.
If I had not filed that police report, then Ray Tenorio would go on, facing no consequences for his actions, to continue the corruption of the Calvo administration as a tyrant this island has never seen before. So, yes, I did that and I’d do it again. Why? Because Ray Tenorio and his spineless Chief of Police orchestrated a police operation that destroyed my privacy and woke my sobriety to a criminal justice system corrupted by the politics of power. If he had never done that, I would have never had the courage to do anything about his crimes. I hope as he spends his time behind bars, that every minute of his miserable ordeal he regrets the day he went after me and anyone else who has survived his misdeeds.
As for the Republican Party of Guam, either get rid of this guy, or the voters simply will send you all into the political graveyard this November. Is Ray Tenorio really worth abandoning the hard work of statesmen like Carlos and Felix Camacho, Joe Ada, Frank Blas, Tony Unpingco, and so many remarkable men and women who gave themselves in the service of this island and that party?
I feel sorry for all of them now, in much the same way they must have felt sorry for me when they cracked jokes about my former drug abuse. They’re in my thoughts and prayers, always.
Governor Calvo also weighed in on the Adelup What'sApp site:
"Ray has always been a strong advocate for public safety. It's why I chose him to run as my Lieutenant Governor and why I put him in charge of public safety. He's done a remarkable job -- there is a partnership between the federal and local law enforcement that I haven't seen before, and we have a Department of Corrections that is no longer under an injunction. I believe there will be a positive outcome to all of this and he can count on my friendship as he goes through the process. In the meantime, we will continue to work hard to recover from the storm and move our island forward