A police group chapter in Florida is under fire for telling officers involved in use-of-force investigations that it is hiring new officers without "spineless leadership" above them.
According to Florida Today, the Brevard, Florida, chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police wrote, and later deleted, this post on Facebook over the weekend:
"Hey Buffalo 57... and Atlanta 6... we are hiring in Florida. Lower taxes, no spineless leadership, or dumb mayors rambling on at press conferences... Plus... we got your back! #lawandorderFlorida."
In Buffalo, two police officers were charged with assault after shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground, causing him to hit his head on the sidewalk. He was bleeding from his ears and was still hospitalized Monday evening, several days after the incident. In Atlanta, two black officers were fired for using tasers and forcefully pulling two African Americans out of a car during a protest on the night of May 30.
Video of both incidents went viral and the officers' respective departments quickly swooped in with disciplinary action.
On Monday, the president of FOP lodge 37 in Brevard issued an apology for the Facebook post.
"This weekend, I made a posting on social media which was in poor taste and did not reflect the sentiment that I was trying to convey, nor that of the FOP," Bert Gamin said. "For that, I humbly apologize to all of you."
The post, according to Florida Today, had more than 2,000 comments and upward of 1,000 shares before it was taken down.
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