Two police officers in Louisiana were fired today for a comment on Facebook suggesting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a “vile idiot” and needed a “round”.
And liking it:
WKRN – Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson announced the terminations Monday. Officer Charlie Rispoli was fired for a post saying Ocasio-Cortez “needs a round” and not “the kind she used to serve” — an apparent reference to her having once been a bartender.
Officer Angelo Varisco was fired for “liking” the post.
“It’s very disappointing,” Lawson said, adding that the Gretna department trains officers on diversity issues and use of social media — and that officers were undergoing such training this month.
Lawson said an internal investigation began after he was informed of the post by The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. The newspaper reported that Rispoli’s post included a fake story with a fabricated quote to make it appear as if Ocasio-Cortez said, “We pay soldiers too much.”
Lawson said both officers cooperated in the investigation and he does not believe either intended violence.
“Whether it was a joke or it wasn’t a joke, it was improper to make a comment like that, to insinuate a violent act against an individual, against an elected official, against a seated U.S. congressman,” Lawson said.
I hate that they were fired but I guess I can understand why. I suppose it’s like when an FBI agent is found to have lied – like Andrew McCabe – it undermines the sacred trust the agency put in that agent. When a police officer jokes on social media about shooting a congressman, especially after we’ve seen it happen already in the last two years, it crosses a line that can’t be just brushed aside.
As for the officer who ‘liked’ it, I don’t know what to think about that. Seems a bit petty and somewhat political to me.
Go ahead and consider this an open thread.
No one believes that this chipmunk is totally wild! pic.twitter.com/GLzeVqSJps
— The Dodo (@dodo) July 22, 2019