Why Isn't The Hudson Police Department Promoting Tomorrow's DOOMSTRIKER Event For One Of Their Fallen Officers? Or Are They?

 

I noticed this 8 x 11 poster last Saturday, not far from the cash register at a local pizza shop.  It is entirely possible that a current or former Hudson police officer taped it to the wall, perhaps even former HPD cop and current HPD Commissioner Shane Bower.

First, a bit of recent history and context to help understand this upcoming event and how it relates to local government.

According to the announcement posted on the city's website at the time, HPD Sgt. Chris Filli died "after suffering a medical emergency while on duty Friday, January 12th, 2024."  As I understand it, Filli died while he was inside the police station at 701 Union Street, though I have never read or heard what exactly he died of.  67 was his badge number, a badge which figures as prominently at the top of HPD's Fakebook page (and each post) as it does on the advertisement for this Saturday's DOOMSTRIKER LAW ENFORCEMENT MOTORCYCLE CLUB (LEMC) charity ride meant for, ostensibly, Filli. (I can't imagine that his family didn't receive a large sum of money after his death a year and a half ago, but who knows.)

KSU stands for Kickstands Up

The phone number belongs to HPD Commissioner
Shane Bower.  It is his personal phone number.  
(What does DFFD stand for?)

The email address at the bottom of the DOOMSTRIKER poster, "srobower@hotmail.com," is more than likely the personal email address of our current HPD Police Commissioner, Shane Bower.  Why do I say that with such certainty?  Because the phone number below that address is most definitely his personal number.  I called it and he answered, identifying himself.  Bower, who doesn't live in Hudson, is the same city official who has attended no more than two informal council meetings (and possibly just one) since being appointed as our police commissioner over 4 1/2 years ago by Kamal Johnson.  Is Kamal aware that our police commissioner is a DOOMSTRIKER?  Does Kamal even know what a DOOMSTRIKER is or that Columbia County has a chapter of the DOOMSTRIKER LEMC?  Would Kamal care if he knew?

(Courtesy of the Daily Gazette)

Bower's predecessor, also a non-Hudson resident and law enforcement official, left his post in disgrace after less than a year after pleading guilty to grand larceny for stealing funds in Chatham while he was the police chief there. (Read about that here:  Volkmann).

A PROUD DOOMSTRIKER

Our present Police Commissioner, who retired as a Hudson cop in 2019, is not only a member of the Columbia County chapter of the DOOMSTRIKER Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, but he is also the contact person for the chapter.  For all we know, he is the leader (if there is such a thing) of our local DOOMSTRIKER motorcycle club.  Ringleader?  Ride leader?  Spokesperson?  Head STRIKER of DOOM?  It's also entirely possible that our police commissioner wears a leather jacket signifying his membership in the club, much like the jackets one can see in pictures online worn by DOOMSTRIKER LEMC members around the country.  Maybe Shane (and others) will be wearing a DOOMSTRIKER jacket tomorrow as he tries to raise money for a deceased cop he once worked with years ago here in Hudson.

Notice the picture on the wall

Interestingly, no notice for tomorrow's DOOMSTRIKER "Charity Ride" for a former HPD cop can be found on our police department's Fakebook page.  And while someone recently spread posters around the area -- quite possibly our police commissioner himself -- to get people to attend the ride or reach out with questions, HPD does not have one of the DOOMSTRIKER posters taped to the front door of its station, a place where postings of HPD-related events are regularly displayed. It is as if the HPD brass want nothing to do with tomorrow's DOOMSTRIKER event honoring and raising money for a former and admired (and sorely missed) cop. Still, a May 15th HPD Fakebook post, as part of National Police Week, honors Sgt. Filli and no one else.

Another FB post regarding Filli appeared earlier this week, advertising an upcoming event in his honor.  I had no idea the guy was so revered.

Would the top brass at HPD (which does not include Bower, who no longer wears a badge) rather not be overtly associated with the upcoming DOOMSTRIKER LEMC Charity Ride for a former 22-year veteran of HPD even if posters for the gathering feature the same badge and background colors HPD so proudly displays on their social media?

A recent partial group photo of HPD as they were blocking 
the sidewalk in front of the Speedway gas station, found at the
top of the HPD FB page. That's Filli's badge below Captain
David Miller.  Commissioner Bower is not in the picture. 

DOOMSTRIKER LEMC is an international organization which began in Italy in 2013.  On the group's US website, which claims that it is a "non-profit charitable organization," it offers no explanation of the word "DOOMSTRIKER."  However, the site does offer these vague statements:  "Built By, And For, Our Nation's Law Enforcement."  Also, "The Mission of our Organization is to provide our Nations [sic] Police, Firefighters, Military and First Responders a place to call home." 

The first US chapter of DOOMSTRIKER LEMC was formed in New Mexico in 2019. Online information for the Columbia County chapter is non-existent -- they have no website nor FB page. But the DOOMSTRIKER LEMC website and several chapters' FB pages are promoting tomorrow's ride here in Hudson. There is an unrevealing FB page for a "Hudson Valley" chapter that may be associated with just one person in Orange County. There appear to be 4 or 5 chapters of the DOOMSTRIKER LEMC in New York State, about as many as there are in Florida. No other states have as many DOOMSTRIKER LEMC chapters.

The DOOMSTRIKER LEMC website offers this map of their 
US chapters.  Clicking on any of the helmeted skulls gets you 
nowhere and offers no information on the chapters.

Here is a screenshot of a recent post from the very active FB page of the RUMRUNNERS (Long Island) chapter of DOOMSTRIKER LEMC.  What the heck does DFFD stand for? (I don't think I want to know!)

How many active and former HPD cops, Columbia County cops, and Hudson firefighters consider themselves proud members of the Columbia County chapter of DOOMSTRIKER LEMC, do you suppose?  How many will show up in Hudson on their motorcycles (and club jackets?) tomorrow to show their respects for a Hudson cop who passed away a year and a half ago?  Chief Mishanda Franklin likely has Saturdays off -- will she be among those to join in the ride and festivities tomorrow honoring a cop she used to work alongside?  Or does she stay as far away as she possibly can from anything and anyone associated with DOOMSTRIKER LEMC, both personally and professionally?

Notice the soiled American flag. 
(From the DOOMSTRIKER website)

"No worse enemies" than whom?  People who aren't
associated with law enforcement or don't ride motorcycles?

The lines have gotten really blurry, haven't they?

I have heard it stated at least three times by HPD officials during council meetings in the past few years, twice by Chief Franklin and once by Sargeant David Miller:  "The police commissioner doesn't work for HPD.  He works for the city administration." That helpful statement is usually followed by another equally helpful one, a promise that rarely materializes:  "I will speak to the commissioner and get back to you next month."  (The most recent instance of this that I heard was made to Margaret Morris after she inquired of Mishanda Franklin about traffic signs and traffic safety, a responsibility that lies solely with the police commissioner.)   Of course, Shane never attends council meetings to speak for himself or engage with the council and the public. (Why would or should he if he doesn't work for HPD?)

If Hudson's police commissioner "doesn't work for HPD," why is Shane Bower's name on HPD's stationery identifying him as the "Police Commissioner"?  And why, if Hudson residents want to speak to Police Commissioner Bower, must one call the main HPD number and leave him a message there, hoping he will return the call?  He doesn't even have a desk, phone or office at 701 Union Street.  Nor does he have any of those things at 520 Warren Street, where "city administration" is located.  But our current police commissioner really wants to engage with the public over his personal phone number and email address about tomorrow's charity ride of the Columbia County chapter of the DOOMSTRIKER Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club.  There's no denying it: Shane Bower is still all about law enforcement, and Hudson is better for it.