Police officers claim blue lives matter, but lately, it seems that might not be as valid when the skin underneath the blue is black.
Following claims from a black NYPD officer that his fellow officers arrested him without cause and lied about it, Atlanta Black Star reports on misconduct by a white police officer in Nelsonville, Ohio.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Officer Joshua Braglin posted a racist Facebook message about Hocking College's black interim police chief, Tiffany Tims, and threatened to kill her. Braglin was subsequently fired for the offense on Wednesday, May 30.
The former officer posted a meme of Tims sitting in a car and captioned it, “Acting Chief Timms [sic] … Chicken and Waffles baby.”
According to two other officers, Braglin also said he would “beat that n****r to death with a banana” (referring to Tims) before her promotion as Hocking College's permanent police chief.
The city council unanimously voted for Braglin's dismissal, 6-0. City council president Ed Mash confirmed he and his colleagues are now considering social media policies for officers.
Protestors supporting Tims stood outside the Wednesday meeting chanting "Black Lives Matter."
“I am glad that they decide to support the recommendation that this officer be fired,” said Andrea Reany, one of the protestors. “He is not only a threat to the residents of color and the students of color that live in Nelsonville but every resident of Nelsonville.”
Braglin's racist remarks have been under investigation since November 2017. Braglin was initially placed on unpaid leave of absence following the offense, prompting the Dayton NAACP to call for his firing.
“The fact that it took so long is concerning to me, and I think that it means that there are more problems within the police force,” noted another protester, Tyler Barton.