PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Portsmouth Fraternal Order of Police issued a statement Saturday afternoon expressing their disappointment with the grand jury indictment of former Portsmouth Police Officer, Vincent McClean in the death of Carmeita VanGilder.
McClean is charged with voluntary manslaughter in VanGilder’s death. He’s accused of not getting her proper medical care when she became sick in police custody. Vangilder, who was pregnant, died in a police holding cell on Dec. 13, 2018.
The group alleged that the indictment was intended to cause McClean and his family undue stress, both personally and financially.
The statement goes on to suggest that there is, “an underlying vendetta against Portsmouth Police Officers by the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for the City of Portsmouth.”
The organization called for the community to rally behind McClean and all Portsmouth Police Officers.
The indictment in the Vangilder case came down the same day a Portsmouth jury found McClean not guilty in a separate, unrelated voluntary manslaughter case.
Mike Holley Sr. is a member of the FOP and a retired Portsmouth police officer. He worked with McClean for years and said he learned a lot from the officer.
“He was a good cop, and I think he treated people right on the street,” Holley said.
Holley said that he believed the case involving VanGilder’s death was closed after an autopsy determined she died of a heart condition caused by drug use. Holley said he believes if McClean knew that VanGilder needed medical attention, he would have gotten it for her.
“I do know that if Vince McClean had known what was going on, Vince McClean would have done something about it,” Holley said.
“He’s a righteous man. He’s a determined man,” he continued. “He’s made the statement before that he wouldn’t mind coming back as a police officer. I think that tells you something about the man.”