Since when are law enforcement officers not allowed to have an opinion? So what if they put ‘I am Darren Wilson’ on their badges on Facebook? It’s just an image. It’s not like they are wearing them on their uniform, which I understand is subject to police regulations.
Ugh. The outrage mob kills everything:
USA TODAY – The chief of Portland, Ore.’s police on Monday ordered three officers to remove”I am Darren Wilson” images from their Facebook pages.
The image in question refers to the officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on Aug. 9. An “I am Darren Wilson” bracelet is shown wrapped around a Portland Police Bureau badge.
PPB Chief Michael Reese and Mayor Charlie Hales issued statements about the Facebook posts on Monday morning, just hours before a grand jury decision would likely be announced in the case.
“I was alerted to these images this morning and immediately ordered their removal through the officers’ chain of command,” Reese said. “The image displayed does not represent this organization and was very inflammatory in nature. Officers certainly have a right to have and express their opinions but not using an official badge of the Portland Police Bureau.”.
Hales said the city had been working with community leaders to help keep the peace no matter what the grand jury announces. He said the actions of these three officers would not help reach that goal.