Husband and wife among four finalists to be Oakland police chief

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - And then, there were four.

The Oakland Police Commission has narrowed the list of candidates for police chief down to four.

Two of the finalists are from the department, Deputy Chief LeRonne Armstrong and interim Deputy Chief Drennon Lindsey. They happen to be husband and wife.

Civil rights attorney Jim Chanin has worked with both of them.

"I don't think the fact that they're married should be held against either one of them. I think that they should be judged as individual people," Chanin said.

Armstrong is a former Alameda County probation officer. He is a 21-year Oakland police veteran.

Lindsey, a former Oakland teacher and has led the homicide section.

"I would be comfortable with either one, but I would also be comfortable looking at the others as well," Chanin said.

Commander Jason Lando is a 20-year veteran of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania police, where he heads the narcotics and vice unit. Lando has previously been a finalist for police chief in at least five cities, including Waco, Tex., Milwaukee, Iowa City, Iowa, Boulder, and Bend, Ore. He is also in the running for top cop in Arlington, Tex.

In an interview, Lando said his experience leading a Pittsburgh precinct has prepared him to tackle Oakland's challenges.

"I kind of see that as a microcosm of Oakland, had a lot of people I had to answer to, had a lot of healing to do," Lando said.

Lando, a former paramedic, is gay and is the only candidate who is not Black.

"And if I'm found to be the person who is the most qualified, you know, I really don't think that the color of anyone's skin should matter, it should be based on merit and what we've done in our careers," Lando said.

The other outside candidate is Abdul Pridgen, who has been police chief in Seaside, Monterey County since 2018. Pridgen retired from the Fort Worth police after serving 25 years there. '

Pridgen and the Oakland police candidates declined to be interviewed.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and the four finalists will take part in a virtual forum on Thursday night.

In a statement, Schaaf said, “The forum will give Oaklanders a chance to hear from their potential police chief and give them a sense if the candidates are well qualified to reimagine public safety, root out systemic racism and restore trust and reduce crime.”

The mayor can choose one of the four finalists to be the next top cop. But the process will start all over if she doesn't pick a chief from this list.