Racist Baltimore pig union VP suspended for email calling protesters 'thugs'[dog whistle alert]...
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http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-lieutenant-suspended-20160815-story.html
Baltimore police union VP suspended for email calling protesters 'thugs'
A high-ranking official in the Baltimore police union with a history of making controversial statements — and getting disciplined for it — has once again landed in hot water, after suggesting protesters of a Maryland Fraternal Order of Police conference at the Inner Harbor on Sunday were "thugs" involved in violence.
Lt. Victor Gearhart, first vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 in Baltimore, was suspended by Police Commissioner Kevin Davis on Monday morning after writing the comments in an email that he sent to the entire police department using his official department email account, according to sources familiar with the incident who were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
In the email, Gearhart said union members attending the state FOP conference should "expect more bad behavior from the THUGS OF BALTIMORE," referring to the protesters — a dozen of whom were arrested for trespassing at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore on Sunday.
"On the bright side maybe they will stop killing each other while they are protesting us," Gearhart wrote.
The biennial FOP conference runs through Wednesday, according to an online agenda.
Sunday's protest was not violent, police said. Those arrested had gathered at the hotel to protest the conference following the release last week of a scathing report by the Justice Department that found Baltimore police routinely violate individuals' constitutional rights. Protesters, including from the groups Baltimore Bloc and the Black Youth Project 100, also wore shirts that read "Justice 4 Korryn Gaines," referring to a 23-year-old woman who was fatally shot by Baltimore County police in her Randallstown apartment earlier this month.
Gaines was killed by police fire, and her 5-year-old son was wounded, after county police responded to her apartment to serve her with a warrant for failing to appear in court on a traffic violation and other misdemeanor charges. Police say Gaines refused to come out of her apartment, threatened officers and raised a shotgun at them. Activists have demanded more information about the circumstances and the actions of police.
T.J. Smith, a Baltimore Police spokesman, said Davis was "outraged" by the email Gearhart sent, which is now the subject of an internal investigation. Smith said he could not confirm or comment on personnel matters, including an officer's suspension.
Gearhart, reached by phone Monday afternoon, declined to comment. Lt. Gene Ryan, president of the FOP Lodge 3, could not be reached for comment on Monday.
In addition to criticizing the protesters, Gearhart dismissed the Justice Department's findings for "lack of scholarly objectivity and lack of statistical rigor."
Gearhart blamed the "POLITICIZATION of Crime Fighting" on past politicians who demanded officers arrest people on minor offenses. Gearhart also said the Justice Department report was "heavy on anecdotes from questionable characters and light on provable facts."
Gearhart's suspension is not his first time running afoul of department officials.
In January, Gearhart was reassigned from patrol work to building security after engaging in an argument with activists on social media, after the activists pointed out past tweets he had written using a personal Twitter account. They called the tweets "offensive" and racist, and called for Gearhart to be fired.
Gearhart had called protesters "thugs" in that incident as well, among other comments. At the time, Gearhart said his statements on Twitter did not represent the department. "It's my private opinions," he said.
Davis at the time said Gearhart's comments did not "reflect the values" of the department, and reassigned Gearhart to the security role.
Afterward, the union and Gearhart sued the police department in federal court, alleging his reassignment and the department's social media policy governing officers' online activities are unconstitutional.
Baltimore Police instituted a five-page social media policy in November that prohibits members from posting on their personal social media pages "any discriminatory, gratuitously violent or similarly inappropriate written content, audio files, photographs, or other depictions that are contrary to the mission and effectiveness of the BPD."
Michael Davey, Gearhart's attorney in the federal case — which is pending — declined to comment on his suspension on Monday.
Comments
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Didn't Obama call us thugs as well?
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Didn't Obama call us thugs as well?
he called the looters and arsonists thugs
the CVS arsonist got 4 years but i still want somebody convicted for burning down that black old folks home -
I wonder if BLM can sue every time these cops link rioting or police killings strictly on them. Like the media has repeatedly said there were no links to the movement, but these cacs & ? keep reporting this is all BLM.
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Not only did Obama call us thugs......
So did the Baltimore mayor, and the state Governor. I guess they forgot the immortal words of their "so-called" hero MLK.
"Riots are the language of the oppressed."
But that doesn't fit their political objective to smear our image in the media.
Shame it took the second time for this pig calling us THUGS to warrant suspension. Police culture enables this kind of rhetoric that leads to service weapons pointed at black people's heads. -
Swiffness! wrote: »
That seemed a little suspicious to me. They burned down that retirement home away from where everything else was going on. -
That 'dig whistle' ? is definitely in full-effect and has been for a while...but REALLY has been over the past 3 years or so. It's almost getting to the point that most of them - even the ones in high positions like this guy - don't eem give a ? about trying to mask their real intent anymore.
Might as well just come out and say it. I'd respect that more. -
Swiffness! wrote: »
If you talking about in Baltimore. The new building? That ? didn't burn down I drove past there and its up and running. Never took that much damage so I'm sure that was a setup. -
5th Letter wrote: »Swiffness! wrote: »
That seemed a little suspicious to me. They burned down that retirement home away from where everything else was going on.
My bro said the same and the building is finished. There was no serious structural damage and they never mentioned it again.
