Garnell Whitfield
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Garnell Whitfield
| honorific-suffix =
| image = File:P20220711AS-0792 (52324232602) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Whitfield in 2022
| alt =
| office = Assistant Commissioner of the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
| governor = Andrew Cuomo
| term_start = September 2017
| term_end = September 2019
| office2 = Commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department
| term_start2 = January 2010
| term_end2 = July 2017
| predecessor2 = Michael Lombardo{{cite web |title=Mike Lombardo |url=https://www.firehouse.com/home/contact/10284227/mike-lombardo |website=Firehouse.com |access-date=22 November 2022}}
| successor2 = Vincent V. Muscarella{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Deidre |title=New Buffalo fire commissioner rose through the ranks |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/new-buffalo-fire-commissioner-rose-through-the-ranks/article_74711578-3beb-51c7-9294-7641e62ea101.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=Buffalo News |date=9 July 2020}}
| birth_name = Garnell W. Whitfield, Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1957|4}}
| birth_place = Buffalo, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| spouse = Cassieta
| children = 4
| residence = Buffalo, New York
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Firefighter, Politician
| committees =
| portfolio =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website = {{URL|garnellwhitfield.com|Official website}}
| party = Democratic
}}
Garnell W. Whitfield, Jr. is the former fire commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department in Buffalo, New York and a social justice advocate. He received national attention for spreading awareness of white supremacy and domestic terrorism after his mother, Ruth Whitfield, was killed in the 2022 Buffalo shooting.
He is currently running to become Mayor of Buffalo, which will be decided by the 2025 Buffalo mayoral election.
Early life and career
Whitfield was born April 1957 in Buffalo, New York to Ruth Whitfield and Garnell W. Whitfield, Sr.{{cite web |title=Ruth Whitfield Obituary 2022 |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/buffalonews/name/ruth-whitfield-obituary?id=34899200 |website=Legacy.com |access-date=22 November 2022}}
He started working as a firefighter in the Buffalo Fire Department in 1984. Throughout his career, he served as the city fire departments's chief fire administrator, deputy commissioner of administration and deputy commissioner of emergency services.{{cite news |last1=WGRZ |title=Buffalo Fire Commissioner retires |url=https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/buffalo-fire-commissioner-retires/71-453511494 |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=WGRZ |date=1 July 2017}}
In January 2010, Mayor of Buffalo Byron Brown appointed Whitfield as the commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department after the resignation of commissioner Michael Lombardo.{{cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Brian |title=Council approves Whitfield as fire commissioner |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/council-approves-whitfield-as-fire-commissioner/article_0d74cc45-7648-5c7c-850b-bcfef5064957.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=Buffalo News |date=26 May 2010}}{{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Eileen |title=Lombardo Steps Down as Buffalo Fire Commissioner |url=https://www.wbfo.org/2009-12-30/lombardo-steps-down-as-buffalo-fire-commissioner |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=WBFO |date=30 December 2009}} He was unanimously approved by the Buffalo Common Council.
In March 2016, Buffalo firefighters issued a vote of no confidence in Whitfield.{{cite web | last=Schulman | first=Susan | title=Buffalo firefighters vote no-confidence in Commissioner Garnell Whitfield | website=Buffalo News | date=March 7, 2016 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/buffalo-firefighters-vote-no-confidence-in-commissioner-garnell-whitfield/article_e62ef11d-0f7b-5200-bc2b-10aa223a1d01.html | access-date=December 4, 2024}} He then retired from the Buffalo Fire Department in 2017.{{cite news |last1=Smallwood |first1=Brittni |title=Buffalo fire commissioner explains why he decided to retire |url=https://www.wivb.com/news/buffalo-fire-commissioner-explains-why-he-decided-to-retire/ |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=WIVB |date=5 July 2017}} Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Whitfield as the assistant commissioner of the New York Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, where he served from September 2017 until September 2019.{{cite web |title=Garnell Whitfield - Eradicate Hate Global Summit |url=https://eradicatehatesummit.org/home/2022-summit/dignitaries-speakers/speakers/garnell-whitfield/ |website=Eradicatehatesummit.org |access-date=22 November 2022}}
2022 Buffalo shooting
His mother, Ruth Whitfield, was the oldest victim of the 2022 Buffalo shooting that occurred at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in the East Side neighborhood of Buffalo. He said he had been calling his mother and trying to locate her, until he found her car in the parking lot of the Tops Supermarket where the shooting occurred.{{cite news |last1=Spina |first1=Matthew |title=Ruth Whitfield's grieving family says a tragedy like this shouldn't happen again |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/ruth-whitfields-grieving-family-says-a-tragedy-like-this-shouldnt-happen-again/article_41a65018-d537-11ec-8844-c33ad9157997.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=Buffalo News |date=29 May 2022}}
She was 86 years old when the shooting occurred. Her funeral was attended by Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff. The Vice President met with Whitfield before his mother's funeral service.{{cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=Nicquel Terry |title=Oldest Buffalo massacre victim Ruth Whitfield honored at funeral service |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/28/us/buffalo-victim-ruth-whitfield-funeral/index.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=CNN |date=28 May 2022}}
In an effort to raise awareness of white supremacy and domestic terrorism in the United States, Whitfield testified in the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.{{cite web |title=Testimony of Garnell Whitfield, Jr. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on "Examining the 'Metastasizing' Domestic Terrorism Threat After the Buffalo Attack" |url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Testimony%20-%20Whitfield%20-%202022-06-071.pdf |website=Judiciary.senate.gov |publisher=US Senate |access-date=22 November 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Cathey |first1=Libby |title=Son of Buffalo shooting victim to senators in hearing on domestic terrorism: 'What are you doing?' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/son-buffalo-shooting-victim-testify-senate-hearing-domestic/story?id=85218320 |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=ABC News |date=7 June 2022}}
Whitfield appeared on news outlets after the shooting alongside prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who he retained for legal counsel in the wake of shooting.{{cite web |title=National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump Retained by Family of Ruth Whitfield, Victim of Buffalo Mass Shooting |url=https://bencrump.com/press/national-civil-rights-attorney-ben-crump-retained-by-family-of-ruth-whitfield-victim-of-buffalo-mass-shooting/ |website=bencrump.com |publisher=Ben Crump |access-date=22 November 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Stenett |first1=Desiree |title=Attorney Ben Crump Hired to Represent Family of Buffalo Mass Shooting |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/os-ne-ben-crump-buffalo-mass-shooting-20220515-loy3icpvmvguzd5zbrrgjukpcy-story.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |date=15 May 2022}}
In June 2022, Whitfield was featured as a speaker at the March for Our Lives protest held in Washington, D.C.{{cite news |last1=Avecedo |first1=Nicole |last2=Bendix |first2=Aria |last3=Griffith |first3=Janelle |title='March for Our Lives' protests against gun violence sweep nation |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/11/march-for-our-lives-protests-against-gun-violence-sweep-nation-.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=CNBC |date=11 June 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Acevedo |first1=Nicole |last2=Bendix |first2=Aria |last3=Griffith |first3=Janelle |date=11 June 2022 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/11/march-for-our-lives-protests-against-gun-violence-sweep-nation-.html |title='March for Our Lives' protests against gun violence sweep nation |website=NBC News}}
Mayoral candidacy
Whitfield has announced his candidacy for the 2025 Buffalo mayoral election, where he will challenge acting mayor Christopher Scanlon for the position.{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Deidre | title=Former Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield enters campaign for Buffalo mayor | website=Buffalo News | date=December 3, 2024 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/garnell-whitfield-buffalo-mayor-fire-commissioner-tops-massacre-ruth-whitfield/article_1151923c-b0d2-11ef-a92e-cfa81a132ad8.html | access-date=December 3, 2024}}
Personal life
Whitfield is married to his wife, Cassieta. They live in the East Side neighborhood of Buffalo.
He is a Catholic Christian.{{Verify source|date=January 2025|reason=Added by vandal, source behind paywall}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.garnellwhitfield.com Official website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitfield, Garnell}}
Category:20th-century African-American people