Michigan cop accused of mocking George Floyd’s death on Facebook quits job amid investigation
A Michigan police officer who was under investigation for a racist social media post that joked about George Floyd’s horrific death has resigned, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
The unidentified cop had been suspended without pay after officials in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights learned about the disturbing Facebook meme. The post featured an image of Floyd lying on the ground with a Minneapolis officer pressing his knee on the Black man’s neck and the caption, “When you gotta change a tire but don’t wanna get your trousers dirty,” local news outlets reported last week.
The image stemmed from the widely shared cellphone footage of Floyd’s in-custody death, which fueled a nationwide wave of protests against police brutality and systemic racism. The now-former cop who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes is set to go to trial next week.
The Sterling Heights officer, meanwhile, decided to quit while an internal investigation was underway and before any disciplinary action was even announced, according to the city’s police department. The officer could have faced termination for breaking the agency’s social media rules.
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“This incident is confirmation that the city must remain vigilant in identifying and rooting out such behavior, which has no place in a municipal organization that serves an incredibly diverse population,” Police Lt. Mario Bastianelli said in a statement.
“This incident further shows the city’s commitment to making sure each and every resident, business owner and visitor feels welcome and safe in Sterling Heights,” he wrote. “This objective is integral to realizing the city’s vision for Sterling Heights as a community that is vibrant, inclusive and distinctive.”
City officials also addressed the incident in a statement last week, calling the racist meme “abhorrent.”
“It must be clear that there is no place for hateful and offensive content like that within our community,” they wrote. “It does a great disservice to the city, the great men and women of the Police Department who protect and server each and every Sterling Heights resident and business, and all those who call it home.”
