HollyMatkinSt. Petersburg, FL – A St. Petersburg police officer was fired on Wednesday, after he allegedly posted negative comments about gang members on social media under a made-up name.
“Officer Garrett’s comments on social media brought discredit to himself, the Department and adversely affected his job, as well as his reputation or goodwill in the community,” the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) said in a release.
According to police, the comments were made on Dec. 27, 2017, when Officer David Garrett joined a Facebook discussion regarding youth involved in gang activity, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The officer used the alias of “Dave Gee” in an effort to conceal his identity as a member of law enforcement, and shared a YouTube link to a rap video that featured individuals brandishing a variety of weapons.
The video was produced by a St. Petersburg gang, Officer Garrett noted in a comment.
“I’ve arrested many, many of the people in the videos,” he added, calling the gang members “a lost cause.”
In the online battle of opinions that ensued, one commenter asked Officer Garrett if the individuals in the video should be “taught and inspired to choose a different path,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“No,” the officer responded.
“How do we stop the cycle?” another person inquired.
“Stop the cycle?” Officer Garrett asked. “Incarcerate all of them.”
“Currently the justice system think[s]…[that they] can be rehabilitated,” the four-year veteran of the SPPD wrote. “They cannot.”
“They deserve death or prison,” Officer Garrett wrote. “There is no saving them.”
The officer’s posts were forwarded to the SPPD after someone noticed that the Dave Gee account featured a picture of Officer Garrett in a St. Petersburg police uniform.
The department’s command review board determined that his comments constituted conduct unbecoming of an employee.
The former officer declined to comment on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Times reported.