Group's website blasts Raleigh police chief

The Jan. 17 "open letter," signed by the Raleigh Police Protective Association, accuses Chief Harry Dolan of telling lies, getting involved in internal investigations and promoting people who don't question him or his ethics.

"We are going to reveal the truth for everyone to see," the post says. "Even your minions are starting to grow restless from the growing cracks in the façade."

It continues: "Will your patsies still defend you at the risk of their own careers or are they hoping that your recent trend of settling officer grievances will continue?"

Rob Black, a spokesman for the RPPA, said Wednesday that the letter was not written or vetted by RPPA leadership but was posted without their knowledge by a member of the organization.

"RPPA certainly has a list of legitimate beefs against the chief, but this rogue posting is not how we go about that," Black said.

The group is working to remove the post and to ensure that members can no longer post on the site on the group's behalf, he said.

Raleigh police declined to comment.

"The city’s policy is to not comment on matters that may relate to pending litigation," spokesman Jim Sughrue said.

The letter comes amid a legal dispute with the police department and the RPPA's former president, Rick Armstrong, who was fired from the department in June amid an internal investigation into improper police conduct.

Armstrong has denied any wrongdoing and is suing the city for wrongful termination.

He has said that he believes Dolan doesn't like the RPPA because it has disagreed with him in the past about how officers are promoted and their salary grades.