A police officer who gained national attention a few months ago for his inflammatory comments regarding a car attack in Charlottesville has been let go after further investigation.
Even though you’re not actively patrolling in your police car or are in uniform, police in public, whether outside or online, are held to a higher standard. This police officer found out the hard way that what you say on social media will definitely follow you as according to Buzzfeed News on their update on the cop’s action earlier yesterday ( Dec. 3, 2017) his police department which he’s employed under, has effectively fired him. Check out a copy of what his message looked like below.
https://twitter.com/dglaun/status/896877090620026880
Back in May, Virginia was the center of one of the most contentious protests and counterprotests between white supremacists and Antifascists. Just a couple of weeks after the white supremacist rally in Virginia in support of keeping the Robert E. Lee statue where it was, counter-protestors started their own rally near to the original protest site after word of another “Unite the Right rally” got underway. During the rally, a Dodge Challenger drove through the protest injuring 19 people and killing one.
Conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro shared a Facebook post shortly after the attack, calling the tragedy disgusting. One of the commenters, who we later was found to be a police officer commented on the post by saying, ” Hahahaha Love this.” And when called out for his comment, asking if he’s been plowed into by a car he replied by saying, “Actually, I’ve been hit by an ashitbag with warrants but who cares right you ignorant brat live in fantasy land with the rest of America I deal with the real danger.”
After his comments started picking up steam on numerous news outlets, he did try to explain himself, to no avail.
“Never would I want someone to get murdered. I am not a racist and don’t believe in what any of those protesters are doing,” he said in an interview. “I’m a good man who made a stupid comment and would just like to be left alone.”
After an internal investigation in the Springfield Police Commision, his superior, Commissioner John Barieri, was having none of it and fired him for, “impairing the operation of the Springfield Police Department” and “discrediting the department.”
It’s one thing to make a comment on social media, but when you’re comment is ignorant and draws major backlash, expect to be put under a magnifying glass.
