Kellen Ridge
| Subspecies: | Stonefolk |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Born: | 970 (Age 51) |
| Title: | Superintendent (Former) |
| Family: | Maelia (Partner)
Armory (Children) |
Kellen Ridge is a member of the Ridge family, one of the prestigious wealthy families that resided in Upper Old Iryna. He served as Superintendent of Iryna PD until the end of 1020. After being exposed for corruption, he was indicted on criminal charges and emigrated from Iryna to avoid arrest.
Iryna PD Career
As Superintendent, Kellen Ridge had a reputation for being humorless, uncompromising, and at times domineering. Subordinates were expected to follow orders or face dismissal without an opportunity to discuss their grievances. However, Kellen Ridge was also loyal to his Upper Old Irynian connections, frequently shielding them from the legal consequences of their actions. His devotion to maintaining the established social order was publically-known enough that Governor Reiner sought to exploit it upon taking office. As Kellen Ridge's direct superior, Reiner mandated that he suppress investigation into a number of cases, as well as conduct investigations into certain individuals without clear cause. For reasons that he did not divulge, Kellen Ridge followed these orders without any objections. These actions went largely unnoticed by the general public; the sole notable exception was Iryna PD Inspector Neeka, who made the decision to continue investigating closed cases against Kellen Ridge's explicit orders.[1] Neeka's investigation ultimately led to Reiner's arrest[2], at which point the public was made aware of Kellen Ridge's actions. Amidst the shock and horror at Reiner's criminal activity, some analysts turned their ire towards Iryna PD, and especially Kellen Ridge himself, for failing to prevent the deaths of an unknown number of Irynians. Legal analysts at The Inquirer theorized that Kellen Ridge could potentially be charged with accessory to murder, obstruction of justice, and/or perjury, although it was not clear how much he had known about Reiner's actions or motivations.[3]
Emigration and Hearing
On Day 11 of Month 5, 1020, Kellen Ridge made a public announcement that he would be taking voluntary leave to visit family outside of Iryna, placing his deputy in temporary command during his absence.[4] His announcement did not mention the allegations against him, but it was clear to all that his sudden departure was an attempt to avoid responsibility for his actions, and many interpreted it as a tacit admission of guilt. Some even speculated that, given the rapidity of the decision, Kellen Ridge may have planned for such an eventuality in advance, which they believed to be further evidence of his complicity in Reiner's criminal activity. This contingent began to agitate for Parliament to exercise its authority, as Iryna's superior court, to bring criminal charges against Kellen Ridge directly. The public at large was shocked when Parliament did so, but instead of the charges expected based on previous analysis, Kellen Ridge was instead charged with child abuse and misfeasance in office[Note].
The charges brought against Kellen Ridge were based on testimony given by the Armory system, the children of Kellen and Maelia Ridge. Armory claimed that they had died from illness in 1011, in part due to their parents' negligence. Kellen Ridge had used his authority as Superintendent to force an EMT to resuscitate them, even though their death was outside the likely window of successful resuscitation. This story was corroborated by Iryna PD and EMS employees who had been present for the incident. Armory was resuscitated, but suffered from PRCI and PTSD as a result of their experience. Kellen and Maelia Ridge did not allow them to disclose their diagnoses and prevented them from accessing necessary care. Armory alleged that this was due to their parents' desire to avoid public knowledge of their role in their children's death. Armory had broken contact with their parents in 1016, but had not felt comfortable coming forward with their story, fearing reprisal from their politically-powerful father. However, with Kellen Ridge safely out of Iryna, Armory believed that the public deserved to know the true extent of his corruption.
The vast majority of Parliament sided with Armory; its District Representatives voted 20-2 to formally indict Kellen Ridge and issue an arrest warrant.[5] The sole dissenters were those from Upper Old Iryna, who were longtime personal friends of the Ridge family. Public opinion also favored Armory, shocked that their story had remained un-reported for almost 10 years and that Kellen Ridge's misconduct had preceeded his collaboration with Governor Reiner.[6] It was widely agreed-upon that should Kellen Ridge attempt to return from his supposed "voluntary leave", he would almost certainly be arrested, convicted, and sent back into exile. Unsurprisingly, as of Day 1 of Month 1, 1021, Kellen and Maelia Ridge have not returned to Iryna to face judgment.
Aftermath
The public reaction to Kellen Ridge's removal from power proved to be a decisive factor in the 1020 election that followed several months afterwards. Upper Old Irynian candidate Aemile Lux made it clear that should they be elected, Kellen Ridge would be absolved of all wrongdoing, and Iryna PD would continue to function as it had in the past.[7] In large part because of this intransigent refusal to hold Kellen Ridge accountable, Aemile Lux lost the election with a humiliating 1.7% of the vote. The victor was Neeka, who pledged to dissolve Iryna PD entirely and replace it with a more accountable law enforcement agency.[8] This so infuriated the Upper Old Irynian community that they followed Kellen Ridge into exile as a display of their dissent.[9]
Note: "Misfeasance" is a charge related to the abuse of official authority, brought against those who had performed an action that would be lawful in other circumstances, but which was ruled to be performed in an improper manner or with improper motivation. Ordering the resuscitation of a deceased person is lawful, even if resuscitation fails or results in PRCI. However, resuscitating a deceased person to hide one's own complicity in their death, or using one's authority to coerce a medical professional into acting against their best judgment, are clear examples of misfeasance.
[1] Testimony by Neeka, Oxana v. Reiner, 1020
[2] "Reiner Arrested In Oxana", The Inquirer (published: 8-5-1020)
[3] "Why Didn't Iryna PD Stop Reiner?", The Inquirer (published: 9-5-1020)
[4] "Kellen Ridge Takes His Leave", The Inquirer (published: 11-5-1020)
[5] Indictment, Iryna v. Kellen Ridge, 1020
[6] "Why We Didn't Cover Armory's Death", The Inquirer (published: 25-6-1020)
[7] "Interview with Aemile Lux", The Inquirer (published: 1-6-1020)
[8] "Interview with Neeka", The Inquirer (published: 1-6-1020)
[9] "Are The Upper Old Irynians Really Gone For Good?", The Inquirer (published: 1-1-1021)