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Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson Under Fire After Ferguson Grand Jury Remarks

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is responding to strong criticism from Sacramento's police union over remarks he made following the announcement officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the death of Michael Brown.

Union leaders and Johnson met on Tuesday after Johnson called the Ferguson decision an "injustice" at a community forum on Monday.

Johnson stands by what he said at the community forum when he was quoted as saying the Ferguson decision was a "sad day for America," and injustice that "just doesn't feel right."

He says he didn't intend to offend, but his comments weren't well received by local law enforcement.

The mayor and Sacramento's police union met to clear the air, and it started with an apology.

"I apologized and said, if I said anything that was offensive, I take that back. That was not my intention," he said.

Sacramento Police Officers Association President Dustin Smith said on Monday that the mayor calling the Ferguson decision an injustice was an injustice himself.

Johnson says he requested the meeting to better get his point across

"The families in Ferguson just didn't feel like they didn't get their day in court and in sitting down with police, they now understand that perspective," he said.

CBS13 asked Smith in when is it appropriate for the mayor to express his opinion as a man, not just as mayor.

"I think it's everybody's right and they can take it as they so choose but at the same time you need to look at the global picture and the influence you have in your community and what your comments are going to mean," Smith said.

Johnson's comments touched a nerve among the rank-and-file officers in a police force that strives to set an example.

"We feel like we're the model for the rest of the state to follow, and to hear it from someone who's seen things done so right, was just difficult for us to deal with," he said.

"What they needed to hear from me whatever happened in Ferguson it wasn't an indictment of police officers everywhere, and certainly not in Sacramento," Johnson said. "I was very clear that was not the intent and not the case."

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