Category: Social Media Discipline

SEATTLE, WA — A King County detective is on leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into “concerning” social media posts, the sheriff’s office announced Monday. The posts in question were shared on a Facebook account belonging to an employee identified on social media as Mike Brown. Screenshots of several Facebook posts were shared widely on Twitter late Sunday night, containing offensive references to two protesters hit by a car…

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TOLEDO, OH — A Lucas County sheriff’s deputy is under an internal affairs investigation after allegedly making an inappropriate comment on social media. That sheriff’s deputy, Sgt. Samuel Mysinger, also was placed on paid administrative leave Thursday. His Facebook comment thanked the FBI for draining the “black swamp,”  in the wake of the arrests of four Toledo City Council members on Tuesday.  On Tuesday, Yvonne Harper, Tyrone Riley, Larry…

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LOUISVILLE, KY — A Louisville Metro Corrections officer has been suspended without pay for “completely unacceptable” social media posts about her support for the confederate flag and criticizing George Floyd, a Black man killed by police.  A post about Floyd shared by Officer Jenna Showalter on her personal Facebook page said “well look what I found about George Floyd” and listed his alleged criminal record while adding, “he was…

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MEDIA, PA — The Media Borough Council in Delaware County fired a police officer over a controversial social media post during an emergency Zoom meeting Friday. As Action News first reported last month, Sgt. Robert “Skippy” Carroll, the vice-president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27, posted on the union’s Facebook page: “If you choose to speak out against the police or our members, we will do everything in…

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A North Alabama police officer was placed on administrative leave following complaints over two Facebook posts he shared, including one that mocks George Floyd. Mentone Police Officer Ross Greenwood said he was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a termination hearing after someone complained about his social media activity. Greenwood told AL.com that he was not told who complained about the posts, and Mentone Mayor Rob Hammond,…

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LEDYARD, CT — Back in February, Patch spoke to Ledyard Police about its investigations into a Swastika, noose and other racist and anti-Semitic graffiti and symbols found in the town this year and last. Wednesday, Ledyard Police Chief John Rich posted on Facebook, he said, information about the department’s investigation into a noose found in a local park in June 2019. Thursday, he removed the post and issued an apology. A…

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SPRINGFIELD, MA — Florissa Fuentes went through an admittedly rocky adolescence growing up in the city’s North End, finding herself in loads of trouble before a high school-based city police officer persuaded her to move to North Carolina for a new perspective. Hailing from a heavily military family, Fuentes returned to the city in 2007, a teen hoping for a fresh start. She aimed to join the U.S. Navy,…

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GRANT COUNTY, IN — The Grant County sheriff is considering disciplinary action of a nearly 20-year employee who posted racially offensive Facebook posts that prompted angry phone calls and emails to the department.  The posts by employee Debra Wallen appeared on Facebook amid a nationwide movement over racial injustice and police brutality. “Can I still separate my laundry into ‘white and colored’ loads, or is that illegal now too?” one post…

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HOOVER, AL — The Hoover Police Department has fired an officer over a comment he made on a Facebook post involving an armed protester in Atlanta. The officer, Ryan Snow, posted a picture of the armed protester as if he were in the crosshairs of a rifle scope. The post was in response to an Atlanta TV station’s report about armed protesters setting up roadblocks near the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks…

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VIGO COUNTY, IN — A longtime deputy enmeshed in turmoil over his personal Facebook posts has turned in his retirement papers at the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office. Lt. Mike Anderson submitted his retirement paperwork this morning, Vigo County Sheriff John Plasse said. The Tribune-Star reached Anderson by phone this afternoon, and he declined to comment. Anderson is no longer on duty, Plasse said. Anderson’s final day on the payroll…

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SAN JOSE, CA — Four police officers in Northern California have been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate a Facebook group in which members made bigoted and anti-Muslim comments. The Facebook posts linked to a group of retired and active San Jose police officers were revealed Friday in an article posted on Medium.com, leading to swift condemnations by the police union, local officials and civil rights advocates, the East…

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CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FL — A longtime Charlotte County Fire/EMS employee resigned Friday after county administrators began examining some of his social media posts. Don Morley, 60, was under investigation following a complaint to county administration that some of his posts on Facebook were racist. His personal Facebook page, which was deleted Thursday afternoon, showed him dressed in his firefighters uniform standing in front of a county truck as his…

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BRADLEY COUNTY, TN — A Bradley County Sheriff’s Office deputy who resigned on June 19 after publishing a controversial post on his personal social media page has published another posting to clarify confusion regarding the matter. In what he described as a letter, Robert Suits II, the former deputy, said he was writing to “clarify some confusion” about his position regarding the “situation which has caused some controversy recently.”…

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MARYSVILLE, MI — A Marysville police officer was disciplined Friday after sharing a racially offensive Facebook post earlier this month, according to Tom Konik, the city’s public safety chief. The post, which shows a meme of an overweight Black woman wearing an “I can’t breathe” T-shirt above an image of a Will Ferrell character and the words, “Just unbutton your pants,” was shared by Officer Danielle Quain earlier this…

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LOUISVILLE, KY — The Louisville Metro Police Department has initiated an investigation after an officer made a Facebook post regarding a protest in Prospect Wednesday evening. LMPD Maj. Micah Scheu posted in the Hillcrest Neighborhood Facebook page about a Wednesday night protest caravan in Prospect, saying the group “looted and cleared out the Chevron at River Rd. and Zorn.” Scheu also alleged in the post that the group partook in…

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TRACY, CA — The Tracy Police Department says a part-time staff member has been relieved of duty due to a “threatening comment” made on social media.  Tracy police received several complaints Thursday morning regarding the comment made on a private Facebook page. They did not elaborate on what was said in the comment.  According to police, there is a pending investigation and the FBI has been notified.  “Threats of…

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GRAHAM, N.C. — Graham Police Chief Jeffrey Prichard is issuing an apology after he says he accidentally shared a post to the department’s Facebook page. The post was critical of the Black Lives Matter movement with an added comment for GPD that said only, “Nailed it.” Prichard said in a statement that the post has been removed from the Facebook page, but not before multiple commenters called the post…

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NEW BERN, NC — The New Bern Chief of Police says a Facebook post made by one of the department’s officers concerning the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta has been turned over to Professional Standards for review. Chief Toussaint Summers, Jr. released a statement, saying that he has addressed the matter individually with those that have voiced concerns about the post made by Officer Nick Rhodes, who said:  “If…

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Civilian complaints against Cleveland police officers and employees have doubled so far in June, including one complaint against a dispatcher accused of calling the Black Lives Matter activist group “a terrorists organization” in a Facebook post. The increase in complaints coincides with widespread protests, pushing to end police violence against Black residents after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine…

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MERIDIAN TWP, MI — Meridian Township leaders held a Zoom conference Wednesday regarding the investigation of racial comments made by a member of the township’s fire department. “It appears that one of our firefighters wrote BLDM and after several people ask him what does that mean? ,” said Meridian Township Manager Frank Walsh. “The comment is, ‘They don’t’ interpreted to Black Lives don’t matter,” added Walsh. A woman who…

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SALEM, MA — The Salem police captain who used the department’s official Twitter account to post a comment comparing protests over the killing of George Floyd to dining out has been demoted two ranks, to sergeant, among several disciplinary measures announced Wednesday. Kate Stephens also wrote a letter of apology to the community, which Salem police Chief Mary Butler released Wednesday morning. Butler said the post was derisive and…

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MADISON, NH — A Madison Fire/Rescue member resigned Saturday after posting derogatory racial remarks on Facebook. A reader emailed a screen shot of the offending post, which was allegedly made by a man named Kyle DaRosa. The screen shot of the Facebook page said DaRosa was an EMT with Madison Fire Rescue & Emergency Management. DaRosa could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, and the profile on which…

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BUTLER, GA — A Butler police officer has been terminated after complaints about a racially insensitive Facebook post. “On Monday, June 22, 2020 the Officer was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the post. The investigation led to the discovery of the Officer being in violation of policy,” according to a statement by the Butler Police Department. The Butler Police officer posted on her personal Facebook page…

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MILLBURY, MA — Acting Town Manager James Kelley condemned “ignorant, intolerant and bigoted comments” apparently made by call firefighter Markus Dagle on social media and said Dagle is no longer with the Fire Department. “Civil war 2 bring back the kkk,” said a post allegedly made by Dagle on Facebook. Another comment criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. “The town of Millbury does not condone the ignorant, intolerant and…

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