Florida Officer Fired After Calling Trayvon Martin a ‘Thug’ on Facebook

http://www.theblaze.com ^ | august 11, 2013 | Oliver Darcy

[lowbridge]

A Florida beach safety officer was fired on Friday after he referred to Trayvon Martin as a “thug” on his personal Facebook page.

Todd Snipes, a beach officer of 15 years who was stationed about 40 minutes from where Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, Fla., was initially suspended for the post he made on Facebook last month.

“Another thug gone,” Snipes wrote the night of George Zimmerman’s acquittal. “Pull up your pants and be respectful. Bye bye thug r.i.p.”

In his termination letter, Department of Public Protection Director George Recktenwald wrote that Snipes had “engaged in behavior that threatens the respect and trust of the community and jeopardizes the perception that the department enforces the law fairly, even-handedly and without bias,”

[SkyDancer]

Bias? Look who’s talking about bias.

[clamper1797]

I smell a huge lawsuit.

[Argus]

Blaspheming St. Skittles is now a firing offense. Good to know.

[Kartographer]

"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell

[Pontiac]

Well obviously not all of the LEO’s post are quoted in the article but I see nothing racial in the post in this article.

Thugs come in all shapes, sizes, races and creeds.

Not being saddened by the passing of a thug killed in the act of being a thug does not strike me as racist in any manner or showing racial bias.

I would think it was expected of a LEO to have little patients with thuggish behavior. .

[Pontiac]

A Qoute well worth remembering.

[beelzepug]

I’m sure his guild or union rep will be jumping on this one with both feet.

[JoeProBono]

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

And anyone notice how Aaron Hernandez has been completely left alone? Not one bad word, no death threats, nothing even though the evidence is quite compelling he killed a black man in cold blood.

But walking in the general direction of a black man for about a block and refusing to allow him to smash your head in? Oh *that* is blatant racism and therefore one must get 4000 death threats, be called every name in the book and even have a sitting US President take sides against you.

[navymom1]

Hey, I like that quote!

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell.

Quite apropos.

[TheDon]

A LEO biased against thugs? What a crazy world we live in...

[EinNYC]

Not only was the man deprived of his Free Speech rights, check out the painting supposedly depicting Zimmerman shooting Crayon Martin over on the right sidebar. It's hanging at the Florida State Capitol! It depicts Zimmerman as some sort of commando shooting Crayon in the back, instead of fighting for his life while having his head banged against concrete. How outrageous is that? Obviously those people who decide what to exhibit there left their brains at the door. It was painted by someone named Huong.

What on earth is wrong with Florida now? Don't they have anything better to do than hang provocative junk which is bound to incite further violence like that up? Zimmerman went through the legal system, he was found not guilty, why is he being made the scapegoat for every and any black/white or black/Hispanic act of violence? Where's the painting showing how the white baby got shot in his little face by a black animal while sitting in his stroller? Where's the painting showing the 3 black kids who beat up a white kid on a school bus?

[Old Sarge]

In his termination letter, Department of Public Protection Director George Recktenwald wrote "WHACHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT, CRACKUH!"

There probably more accurate...

[Right Wing Assault]

Where's the painting showing how the white baby got shot in his little face by a black animal while sitting in his stroller? Where's the painting showing the 3 black kids who beat up a white kid on a school bus?

I hope some artists are working on those.

[Standing Wolf]

I smell a huge lawsuit.

My first thought, too. Once in awhile, nothing will get the job done but at assault lawyer.

[GeronL]

Thought crimes

[boycott]

Looks like a thug to me.

[Sooth2222]

"Todd Snipes, a beach officer of 15 years ...Department of Public Protection Director George Recktenwald..."

So I take it that Mr. Snipes was a public employee. First Amendment or not, posting stuff like that under his own name was almost as dumb as bringing Skittles to a gunfight.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

I predict the patriot who defaces the Trayvon mural will do time