Rodgers

To all of you stay safe out there. Come together and stop all the unnecessary drama. You guys are a family. These days ahead will be tough. Get to know each other and be kind. Please no more bullying against one another. We dont want any of you to go away. Remember the great person Rodgers was. Please continue to reach out to his wife, she needs to know that we are all still there for her.

How you guys work with that POS rat that did that cop in is beyond me. Typical South Florida cop ratting one of his own out for his own personal gain?? Sickening....... Heard you were a good cop Rodgers...RIP

Wow. Just heard the news and I just want to send my condolences to the friends and family. I worked with Rodgers when I was with this agency. God bless and stay safe.

I worked along side Rodgers in the Gang Unit. He was a great cop who will be missed. How many Lauderhill cops were as brave, proactive, knowledgeable and trustworthy as Rodgers? Not many... The City of Lauderhill needs more cops like Rodgers to clean up that **** hole. This is why EVERYONE in the county laughs at Lauderhill P.D and why crime is so bad there. Lauderhill is known to take all their proactive officers and hold them back from doing real police work. Rest in Peace Brother, YOU WILL BE MISSED AND ALWAYS REMEMBERED... Whoever ratted out this great cop, remember, what goes around comes around (Good Luck you P.O.S).

I worked along side Rodgers in the Gang Unit. He was a great cop who will be missed. How many Lauderhill cops were as brave, proactive, knowledgeable and trustworthy as Rodgers? Not many... The City of Lauderhill needs more cops like Rodgers to clean up that **** hole. This is why EVERYONE in the county laughs at Lauderhill P.D and why crime is so bad there. Lauderhill is known to take all their proactive officers and hold them back from doing real police work. Rest in Peace Brother, YOU WILL BE MISSED AND ALWAYS REMEMBERED... Whoever ratted out this great cop, remember, what goes around comes around (Good Luck you P.O.S).


Amen...R.I.P Rodgers. We love you brother.

I ALSO WORKED WITH RODGERS AND HE WAS A GREAT COP AND GREAT FRIEND. IT IS SAD WHENEVER WE LOSE GREAT OFFICERS PERIOD. GREAT OFFICERS ARE HARD TO COME BY AND RODGERS WAS QUALITY. WHAT IS EVEN MORE SAD IS THAT WE ARE STUCK WORKING AROUND SLUGS AND RATS THAT CALL THEMSELEVES BROTHERS AND SISTERS. RODGERS HAD ALOT OF HONOR AND HE WILL BE MISSED. AS FOR THE SLUG/RAT I WISH YOU THE BEST... GOOD JOB AND GOOD LUCK (BROTHER)............YOU HELPED TAKE THE LIFE OF A GREAT OFFICER.

AT A FUNERAL FILLED WITH THOUSANDS OF COPS, THEY SWEAR THAT WE ARE A FAMILY THAT WOULD GIVE OUR LIVES FOR EACH OTHER.... BULL****.. THIS IS A CUT THROAT GAME. THERE ARE THOSE WHO JUST WEAR THE BADGE AND THEN THERE ARE REAL COPS... THERE ARE THOSE WHO DRIVE BY AND WITNESS A CRIME BUT DO NOTHING BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARED AND THOSE WHO STOP EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SCARED AND GET INTO A CLUSTER ****.. AS A FELLOW LEO.. LOSING RODGERS MAKES ME SICK........!!! THIS IS NOT THE MILITARY, THERE IS NO BROTHERHOOD, JUST A BUNCH ******* WITH BADGES THAT WOULD BURN YOU AND MAKE FALSE ACCUSATIONS TO GET TO THE TOP..... YET THEY WEAR A THIN BLUE LINE AND RIDE BIKES/ RUN MARATHONS TO SUPPORT OTHER COPS. FUNNY ISN'T THERE ENOUGH CRIMINALS OUT THERE

Does it matter to anyone that he was clearly corrupt? An independent investigation was resulting in his arrest. Do you really want a bad cop out there tarnishing your badge with his illegal corrupt behavior?

Does it matter to anyone that he was clearly corrupt? An independent investigation was resulting in his arrest. Do you really want a bad cop out there tarnishing your badge with his illegal corrupt behavior?


Do you even know exactly what happened? I think not. Rumors are swirling and will continue to swirl. It will go nowhere because he has passed on. No one will know exactly. Just the person with the book, his words, and the big guy above. This thread was started to just remember a fellow officer, not to start bashing.

AT A FUNERAL FILLED WITH THOUSANDS OF COPS, THEY SWEAR THAT WE ARE A FAMILY THAT WOULD GIVE OUR LIVES FOR EACH OTHER.... BULLSHYT.. THIS IS A CUT THROAT GAME. THERE ARE THOSE WHO JUST WEAR THE BADGE AND THEN THERE ARE REAL COPS... THERE ARE THOSE WHO DRIVE BY AND WITNESS A CRIME BUT DO NOTHING BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARED AND THOSE WHO STOP EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SCARED AND GET INTO A CLUSTER FUC..K.. AS A FELLOW LEO.. LOSING RODGERS MAKES ME SICK........!!! THIS IS NOT THE MILITARY, THERE IS NO BROTHERHOOD, JUST A BUNCH *****ES WITH BADGES THAT WOULD BURN YOU AND MAKE FALSE ACCUSATIONS TO GET TO THE TOP..... YET THEY WEAR A THIN BLUE LINE AND RIDE BIKES/ RUN MARATHONS TO SUPPORT OTHER COPS. FUNNY ISN'T THERE ENOUGH CRIMINALS OUT THERE

I agree with you. It is a cut throat game until some people change their ways. Does anyone not take pride in being a police officer anymore? Everyone is suffering bc of what has happened. The sadness has now turned into anger. Let us remember saying and doing are two different things. I hope this doesnt continue to happen. I know that Eli is now in his final resting place but we all (ok not all but a lot of us) need to somehow unite. We know who the bad seeds are in our department. We should just stay away from them and not say a word. Seems petty but you would be surprised.

I also knew and was friends with Eli.
Like the rest of you, Im also torn up over this. I guess I am the only one who isn't blaming Yopps. He told the truth. He didn't make Eli make the decisions that he did, and why should he have to go down for it?
Several posters are calling Yopps a "rat" and a "scumbag" but the officer who broke the law is thought of as a saint. I guess I am the only one who feels this way.

Yes.....you are the only one who feels that way! Eli was not found guilty of anything and he took away his opportunity to clear his own name, but with being said, we DO know who the P.O.S is that started this sh*t. Why does he just not move back up north for his own good.

Have you read the investigative report? Maybe we should all wait until the report is a public record and see what the actual facts are in this case. Nobody forced Eli to make any decisions. And if Yopps was subpoenaed by the SAO he had no choice but to tell the truth. Lots of questions and assumptions at this point....very few facts. Let's wait for the report.

DON'T NEED TO READ IT, HAVE 1ST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE FACTS. HE'S A RAT. THE END!!!

Hey Mod why dont you lookat this thread before someone opens their mouth too far and puts their foot in it.

[jasons.310]

It is a shame! Be safe out there. Been a long time since I have worked with you guys.

[mod 575]

Hey Mod why dont you lookat this thread before someone opens their mouth too far and puts their foot in it.

I have been monitoring it. When someone does put their foot in their mouth, I will remove the post. Just be mindful of terms of use.

Does it matter to anyone that he was clearly corrupt? An independent investigation was resulting in his arrest. Do you really want a bad cop out there tarnishing your badge with his illegal corrupt behavior?


Do you even know exactly what happened? I think not. Rumors are swirling and will continue to swirl. It will go nowhere because he has passed on. No one will know exactly. Just the person with the book, his words, and the big guy above. This thread was started to just remember a fellow officer, not to start bashing.

Someone should investigate the strength of the PC the state had in this case. The state filed the case based on what ? Causing this great officers death. The loved ones likely have a great lawsuit here and the ability to make the people with the blood on their hands pay. It appears that the sao is trying to get cheap headlines in the paper for being tough on " alleged police corruption". Was he on the jaded Brady list which determines your dirty before the impartial investigation allegedly begins. The unions need to step up to the plate and stop being P-ss-ies.

RIP brother!

I really pray you come home to your family guy who alleged this officer did something wrong, to ensure the criminal you let free to rape and sell dope wasn't improperly allegedly charged.

That all good but hes called those things for doing the same activities as eli was accused anjd more. Thats whats shocking.
I also knew and was friends with Eli.
Like the rest of you, Im also torn up over this. I guess I am the only one who isn't blaming Yopps. He told the truth. He didn't make Eli make the decisions that he did, and why should he have to go down for it?
Several posters are calling Yopps a "rat" and a "scumbag" but the officer who broke the law is thought of as a saint. I guess I am the only one who feels this way.

Some of you may say or feel that I have no place writing this message, but it takes a lot for me even make this statement…

I just wanted to remind everyone that over the years I’ve watched the Lauderhill Police Department’s “Thin Blue Line” almost completely vanish. The trend in this agency has become “avoid any form of contact with any officer on administrative leave until the completion of their open investigation”. This is something that has been drilled into our heads over and over again for years by those above us. Senior officers usually ignore this unwritten rule, while the newer officers begin to fear negative repercussions or possible career suicide should they reach out to someone in anyway.

This type of behavior must STOP! Whether an officer is believed to be in the wrong or if the agency is “just following protocol”, you should never cease to communicate with that officer. Hopefully you all haven’t forgotten what it was like to scream on your radio because “the s**t hit the fan” and you now found yourself fighting for your life. No one other than your brothers and sister wearing that badge are going to risk their lives to get to you expeditiously and place themselves in harm’s way to save you. Even if you dislike the person calling for help you never take your time to reach them. Instead you put your safety second until they are safe and the threat is GONE! I think many of you have forgotten those moments somewhere along the line. Maybe this is caused by a promotion to a higher rank or specialized unit, but no matter what the reason remember this… every single one of you, from the Chief down, at some point during your career worked road patrol as a grunt.

I fell victim to this treatment during my recent situation. Last time I checked the Lauderhill Police Department was a small agency of 128 sworn officers; an agency small enough that after a while there really isn’t anyone that doesn’t know you on a one on one bases. I can count on ONE HAND the number of officers that attempted to contact me and see how I was doing. I know that I lost count of how many cries for help that I responded to over my years from other officers via their radio, of which over my tenure I worked on every shift for some period of time. It’s pretty sad when you do the math.

We spend more time at work with each other than with our families and loved ones. So when your life line is cut, no one returns your calls and no one is checking on you because they actually care to know how you’re holding up. This is a pretty scary feeling that only a few of you have experienced. Some of you think that the officer will be fine and they have their family to be there for them. Others may say “well they probably just wanna be left alone” or “I can’t call them because I don’t want to get tangled up in this case”. WRONG! Your family can only do so much and if they aren’t in law enforcement they won’t ever fully understand what you feeling or going through deep down inside.

Remember you never need nor should you discuss the facts of any circumstances surrounding an open investigation, to protect the officer and to keep yourself out of the investigation, but the last time I checked there is no policy or law against checking on the well being of the officer(s).

I resigned under very underhanded circumstances, but what those of you don’t know is that after I was mislead and completely traumatized by the information provided to me, I considered suicide. Those individuals that played a part in my coerced resignation probably don’t realize that they pushed me into a corner and I felt like my world had come to an end and that I had no other choice. Thankfully even though I was very intoxicated due to the stress of the information that was provided to me I was able make the most rational decision possible and called the on duty supervisor to meet me at my residence and retrieve my department issued firearms, which were never taken from me when I was placed on administrative leave. After telling an officer that he or she is being placed on administrative leave in the sergeant’s office and you fail to relieve them of their department issued firearms even after that said officer requests if you need their duty weapon? Sounds like a problem waiting to happen. Why is it that other agencies in this county relieve officers of their department issued firearms and/or place you on desk duty until the completion of their investigation? Rather than sending the officer home to stare at their walls wounding their fate. If the department deems the officer is currently unfit to perform his or her lawful duties as a sworn police officer than why leave that officer in possession of department issued firearms? They don’t leave you with your department issued take home vehicle do they? Anyhow, I honestly believe that night I was the closest I had ever come to even considering suicide as my only escape from the horrible things I just been told moments earlier.

The moral to that story is if there was some sort of support system in place for officers on administrative leave then maybe I would never have felt like that was my only choice, I mostly likely would not have resigned to escape the horrific and threatening message that was relayed to me by someone that I considered a friend on behave of the “MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE CITY”. Who violated my Police Officer’s Bill of Rights by providing confidential information regarding my open internal affairs investigation to a city employee outside of the scope of the investigation and completely outside of the Lauderhill Police Department all together!

Weeks after my resignation I again reached out to the Lauderhill Police Department’s command staff in tears and I requested to be provided me with a phone number and/or name of someone that I could speak to in order to help me through this difficult time. They never responded to that request. Once again, feeling like my world was ending I sat on the edge of my bed and contemplated suicide. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of how devastated my family would be if I committed this act. I made a few attempts to speak to the Chief and other command staff members for help. The last attempt was after watching the funeral of the two Miami Dade Police Officers who were murdered while attempting to serve a warrant earlier that week. After making my request to the front desk I was denied this opportunity and was met in the Police Department’s Lobby by a Lieutenant. So out of the Chief of Police, two Assistant Chiefs and three Captains I was only met by a Lieutenant? Pretty sad to say the least after four and a half years of service, saving strangers lives and getting injured on many occasions in the line of duty.

Not too long after this, my father came to me and informed me of Officer Elijah Rodgers’ death. I was completely heartbroken and very angry. All I could think of was how close I came to making the same choice after receiving not even a phone reference of someone to speak to for help. As many of you know Officer Rodgers wrote an e-mail and sent it to all City of Lauderhill employee’s hours before he made his fatal choice. City officials attempted to remove this e-mail from the server within minutes of its receipt.
When I sat at Officer Rodgers’ funeral, I honestly felt as if I was sitting at my own. I watched as the room filled with hundreds of people, but how many of them tried to reach out to him? The only humor I found at his funeral was how only after his death was I approached by several members of the Lauderhill Police Department asking me if I was ok and pushing me to talk to a victim’s advocate / therapist from the Pembroke Pines Police Department. Why does it take someone to commit the ultimate sacrifice before other people actually care? Thank you to those individuals that took it upon themselves to try to help me. Funny how the command staff, standing only inches from me, didn’t even have the respect to acknowledge me even after making eye contact with me several times. What great leadership skills. I’m just glad that Officer Rodger’s family would not allow the administration to speak on his behalf. I totally respect you all for taking a stand and not letting those uncaring members of the Lauderhill Police Department give false political speeches.

I only ask one thing… Break this horrible behavior of abandoning your fellow officers who are ever involved in a tragic situation or placed on administrative leave. Forget about whether their actions were wrong or right. Don’t base you decision to contact them solely on whether or not you feel they may be guilty of a crime. Instead remember when you yelled for help on your radio and they came against all obstacles to help you, even if it cost them their life. I know I would have laid down my life for any of you without question and yes I did take it very personal if any of you were injured as a result of someone else’s careless actions. But I never made these decisions based on my personal feels for you, instead all feelings were put aside because you were all my brothers and sisters and I hoped for the same love, respect and treatment in return.

Citizens seem to forget or fail to realize on a daily bases that even though they may dislike or not understand police officers actions, without them to protect you there would be anarchy. Police officers are domestic soldiers who die in the line of duty daily for complete strangers and in order for you to hopefully live a safe and long life. I won’t say that police officers are perfect, because the last time I checked police officers aren’t robots. They are human just like all of you and I would venture to say that there isn’t one sworn law enforcement agent or officer regardless of the rank that hasn’t ever made even the smallest mistake at some point during their career.

I will never truly stop “bleeding blue”, especially when I never wanted to leave in the first place. R.I.P. Elijah, I promise your sacrifice will not be in vain. I will never stop fighting the good fight my friend, NEVER!

Yours Truly,
Officer Andrew A. Peña CCN #390

P.S.

Delete this one Chuck!

MR. Pena,
I find your writing very interesting and dishartening. It is a good thing the Army in NOT like the Lauderhill Police department, we never leave a fallen or hurt soldier behind, it appears that some of the police in this department lack integrity and comment to their fellow officer. No matter what the situation your C.O.C. should be looking out for you and properly advising you of what to do, no matter what the circumstance. I am glad that I do not live within that departments jurisdiction, I would definately be concerned about there abilities and dedication. If your fellow police officers do not care about each other, how can they care about the citizens of the community they support!!! This is definatley a bad pleague within your former department, probably more so within the area of supervision/management. Remember the troops are a direct reflection of the command, if they do not show that they care, subordinates will not either. I do not know the circumstances of why you resigned, but regardless your C.O.C should have stuck by your side and properly advised you on what to do, not mislead you. Some of them would definatley not be someone I would want to go to war with. As hard as this may be, I would press on with my life, join a great organizaion, join the ARMY.

MR. Pena,
I find your writing very interesting and dishartening. It is a good thing the Army in NOT like the Lauderhill Police department, we never leave a fallen or hurt soldier behind, it appears that some of the police in this department lack integrity and comment to their fellow officer. No matter what the situation your C.O.C. should be looking out for you and properly advising you of what to do, no matter what the circumstance. I am glad that I do not live within that departments jurisdiction, I would definately be concerned about there abilities if they are controlled by leadership. If some of your fellow police officers do not care about each other, how can they care about the citizens of the community they support!!! This is definatley a bad pleague within your former department, probably more so within the area of supervision/management. Remember the troops are a direct reflection of the command, if they do not show that they care, subordinates will not either. I do not know the circumstances of why you resigned, but regardless your C.O.C should have stuck by your side and properly advised you on what to do, not mislead you. Some of them would definatley not be someone I would want to go to war with. As hard as this may be, I would press on with my life, join a great organizaion, join the ARMY.

Does it matter to anyone that he was clearly corrupt? An independent investigation was resulting in his arrest. Do you really want a bad cop out there tarnishing your badge with his illegal corrupt behavior?

SAO = INEPT PIECES OF GARBAGE

PENA,

Why are you posting that on this forum. You have again turned this "all about pena". GO AWAY. I wanted to punch you in the face at the funeral. How dare you run round to each of our members, telling that that you too almost ate your gun several times. NO YOU DIDN'T!!!!!!

Your methods of obtaining attention is sicking. You need help.

I'm sure the moderator will delete this. He/she doesn't like the brutal truth. weak.

justice served