Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing nobody can deny, it’s that the 2015 so-called ‘Gone Girl’ case of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn’s Vallejo home invasion turned kidnapping was as baffling as it was haunting. This much has even been evidenced in Netflix’s ‘American Nightmare,’ especially as it explores how this couple was accused of faking the whole ordeal for months before the truth finally came to light. Amongst those to thus not believe them was actually then-Police Chief Andrew Bidou.
Who is Andrew Bidou?
It was reportedly back when Andrew was just a young boy that he first developed a keen interest in all things concerning law enforcement, only for it to continue expanding as the years passed. He was hence a mere high school graduate when he joined the police academy for basic training, soon after which he found himself serving as a rookie and gradually climbing this industry’s ladder. The truth is he started out at 19, but his hard work enabled him not to be a liability within any of the units he was a part of over the years before ultimately getting his due with a promotion unlike any other.
Andrew was actually appointed Chief of the Vallejo Police Department in the fall of 2014, following which he apparently turned their community relations upside down through various helpful programs. According to official documents, he was the one to set up Coffee with a Cop, wherein neighbors could meet patrol officers over a cup of java at local establishments to discuss their issues at length. Then there’s the fact he has also been credited with co-creating a unique late-night basketball summer camp for teens to keep them off the streets, and instituted the police body-worn camera agenda.
However, Andrew’s stint as Chief was marred by several controversies too, including apparent willful ignorance toward badge bending, the ‘Gone Girl’ incident, overuse of force, as well as harsh misconduct. As per records, he was made explicitly aware of the badge-bending enigma quite early on during his leading term, yet he took no active action to prevent or eradicate the same from happening again. Moreover, according to the docuseries, he not only didn’t believe Denise and Aaron’s claims of being victims in 2015, but he also told a lieutenant to “burn that b***h” in a press conference before even attempting to speak with her following her release from 2 days of captivity.
Andrew Bidou is Retired
Considering the way Andrew’s career was chaotically crashing down following 25 years of unwavering service, it comes as no surprise he was named in several civil lawsuits in the late 2010s. The three primary ones were the defamation case filed by Denise and Arron in 2016, the wrongful termination suit by former captain John Whitney (he claimed he was fired for reporting badge bending), as well as the 2019 matter for the wrongful death of Willie McCoy. The City of Vallejo eventually had to pay settlement in each of these; the traumatized couple received $2.5 million, the former officer was awarded $900,000, and Willie’s estate was granted $5 million.
Coming to Andrew’s current standing, he actually announced his retirement in March 2019 while his department was facing vast criticism for their alleged overuse of force after Willie McCoy’s police killing. He’d apparently been thinking of handing in his papers for around a year despite being just 50, yet he did so merely around a month and a half prior to his scheduled last day of April 30.
Though Andrew then served as Vallejo Police Department’s Interim Chief for a short time to find his replacement plus make the transition smoother, for which he earned up to $20,000/month. As for his pension, this Califonia-based proud family man purportedly acquires about $19,000 a month from the government, and then he likely also earns enough to make a stable living from his last known new profession as an Emergency Response Program Manager at PG&E.
Read More: Mat Mustard: The Vallejo PD Official is Now a Sergeant
