911 Calls Disputed in Oliver Divorce Filings

A series of 911 calls made by the wife of Pasadena police Chief Jerry A. Oliver over the past eight months has become the focus of a dispute in the couple’s bitter divorce.

In a statement added to his May 29 petition for divorce, Oliver claimed that his wife, Jackie, maliciously made four unfounded 911 calls from their Pasadena home to embarrass him.

Neither Oliver could be reached late last week. But Jackie Oliver’s attorney, Marvin Mitchelson, said at least one of the calls was an attempt to get help, which Pasadena police officers ignored when their chief greeted them at his front door.

Jackie Oliver, 29, filed a separate divorce petition June 4, claiming that Jerry Oliver, 44, repeatedly abused and threatened her during their 14-month marriage. The chief has denied the allegations.

Although some Pasadena police officers Thursday called for an investigation of the charges in Jackie Oliver’s petition, City Manager Philip Hawkey said he would not initiate an investigation unless Jackie Oliver files a formal complaint with the police department, the city or another law-enforcement agency.

Hawkey said he views Jackie Oliver’s claims of spousal abuse as “an effort to gain leverage in a divorce action.”

According to court records in Jerry Oliver’s May 29 divorce file, Jackie Oliver called 911 on Oct. 16 and reported that she was being abused by her husband.

Pasadena Police Lt. Van Anthony said Thursday that when a police commander arrived at the home that morning, Jackie Oliver refused to make a statement.

“He provided every opportunity for Mrs. Oliver to lay whatever claim she wanted to,” Anthony said. “He even provided her with phone numbers other than his business phone so she could contact him. But she never said anything about why she called 911 that morning.”

Anthony also said that there were no signs Jackie Oliver had been abused.

Mitchelson said Jackie Oliver did not tell the police then about the abuse because she was intimidated by her husband, and “the chief was telling her, ‘This is not going to do any good. No one is going to believe you.’ ”

In his court statement, Jerry Oliver said the call was made “for the purpose of embarrassing me within my own department and to ruin my reputation and position within the city of Pasadena.”

Jerry Oliver also said that his wife called 911 three times at the end of May--twice to report a prowler when there was none and once on May 31, when she asked a commander to help her keep the chief out of his bedroom.