This article contains news and liberal commentary
Summer Taylor, 24, was killed on July 4, 2020, while on a closed freeway with other protesters in downtown Seattle by a driver who entered the freeway by driving the wrong way on an exit ramp, maneuvered around barriers, and then drove through the crowd at “freeway speed.” Another protester was severely injured, but survived. The driver, later identified as Dawit Kalete, 27, is charged with murder.
Not long after this incident, Mike Brown, a King County sheriff’s deputy, allegedly mocked Taylor’s death on Facebook by posting the picture above. It’s not a picture of Brown’s personal vehicle, just an image he found on the internet, repeating a theme that apparently has become popular among rightwing haters. This and 7 other similar Facebook posts have put Brown’s job in jeopardy.
A superior recommended that Brown, a 40-year law enforcement veteran, be fired for “conduct unbecoming” and violating the department’s social media policy. A final decision is up to the sheriff. Read story here.
Brown says it was a “joke.” Some joke. On its face, “all lives splatter” is sick, twisted, and expresses homicidal intent.
I say fire him. He has a constitutional right to be a jerk, and post whatever he likes on social media, but there is no right to be a police officer. When you become a cop, you agree to abide by the employer’s policies. Brown isn’t being picked on for his views; the discipline is for policy violation. Any employee, in any line of work, who violates his employer’s policies is in the same position.
Policing is a sensitive job, subject to public scrutiny. Police officers are required to be impartial. Police departments aren’t obligated to hire just anyone. Someone who glorifies murder isn’t suited for law enforcement work. Moreover, the presence of such attitudes on police force increases the likelihood of police brutality. Removing such individuals from the police force helps head off future problems before they occur.
Return to The-Ave.US Home Page
