Miami mayor fires city manager who had refused to sack police chief

MIAMI - Miami Mayor Joe Carollo fired the city manager Thursday, just days after he demanded the firing of the police chief for not warning him about the raid to seize Elian Gonzalez.

Carollo had asked City Manager Donald Warshaw to fire Police Chief William O'Brien, saying he ''lost all confidence'' in the chief for not telling him that federal agents were about to raid the Gonzalez household early Saturday.

Despite the demand, Carollo insisted Thursday that Warshaw's firing had nothing to do with ''little Elian.'' Carollo said Warshaw has been badmouthing him to his colleagues and trying to turn department heads against him.

The seizure of the 6-year-old has plunged City Hall into political turmoil. Carollo's announcement during a City Commission meeting came after Warshaw refused to fire O'Brien. Warshaw, who preceded O'Brien as chief, shook his head with a look of disgust as Carollo spoke.

Hours after Elian was taking from the home of his Miami relatives, Carollo said of O'Brien ''If I had that power ... I would fire him.''

Only the city manager can fire the police chief, and Warshaw has said he won't do it, setting the stage for the confrontation. The police chief is answerable only to the city manager.

The police chief had an hour of advance notice of the 5:15 a.m. raid, but has said he didn't want to tip off the mayor, who unlike O'Brien is Cuban-American and had openly sided with the Cuban boy's Miami relatives.

''This was a police issue, not a political issue,'' O'Brien has said.

The mayor is also demanding O'Brien's firing for letting the police department's second in command, Maj. John Brooks, get involved in the raid.

Brooks rode in the van that whisked Elian away. Police said that Brooks did so so that other police officers on duty at the house would realize that it was an official action. Officers on the scene had only a moment's notice of the raid.

Days before the raid, the mayor had declared that Miami police officers would not help federal agents remove the boy from the Little Havana home.

City Commissioner Tomas Regalado sided with Carollo in calling for the police chief's firing, saying: ''He has lost his ability to direct the department.''

City Commissioner Johnny Winton, who supports both O'Brien and Warshaw, said: ''We have a mayor running around here pouring fuel on the fire instead of providing leadership to our community. It's a very, very sad statement for all of the citizens of our community.''

Protests broke out among Miami's Cuban-Americans after Saturday's lightning raid, and police in riot gear arrested more than 300 people and used tear gas to disperse crowds.

On Thursday morning, about 50 protesters gathered outside City Hall, with many signing a petition calling for the removal of Warshaw and O'Brien.

Karla Martinez, 22, called for an investigation into alleged police brutality. She said she was arrested Saturday while protesting and was knocked to the ground by a female officer. ''To pick me up, she dragged me along the asphalt,'' she said.

Gov. Jeb Bush said he met with Carollo on Thursday and encouraged him to consider an investigation into the alleged abuse by Miami police, rather than moving ahead with an attempt to fire the city manager.

''I asked the mayor to be reflective rather than reactive,'' Bush said.

Carollo became mayor after a fraud-ridden 1997 election that resulted in the apparent victor, Xavier Suarez, being forced from office.

Carollo appointed Warshaw as city manager in 1998.