Pa. police officer shown on YouTube mocking murder victim returns to force
Published: June 24, 2009
ERIE, Pa. — The police chief in Erie, Pa., says a white officer videotaped mocking a black murder victim and his family in a drunken barroom rant will soon return to patrol duty.
Officer James Cousins II has been restricted to desk duty since he returned from an unpaid, 10-day suspension May 7. He has apologized to the dead man’s family for the eight-minute rant in which he joked about the killing and mocked the reaction of the dead man’s mother. Someone in the bar caught the monologue on video and posted it to YouTube.
Chief Steve Franklin says Cousins was cleared by a fitness-for-duty evaluation that included psychological testing. Franklin wouldn’t specify when Cousins will return to duty, but says he expects it soon.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
I will say that it was unprofessional for the officer to act this way in public, and to behave in a manner that attracted others attention. It just drives me nuts, that someone can easily say that someone is racist for whatever behavior they exhibit.
To DamaddHatter:
Who said conservatives and liberals are all that different very well said and a great comment…..
But wait a minute this may show his underlying feeling towards people of color maybe, maybe not. What do you mean by off duty? If a fight or something that required a officer of the law to intervene does that mean that this guy would turn a blind eye? doubt it. Also, the story did not say that the victim was a criminal just a victim maybe the black thing threw you to assume that he was one, its ok I understand!
Reverend and others are way off base here. I work daily with “the criminal element” and I am definitely “jaded” myself. I have my own thoughts and feelings, and I express them in the privacy of my home. I do not do so in public around the people I am supposed to serve. It’s called being a professional. The fact that he was drinking doesn’t excuse him; it really makes him look that much more unprofessional. To mock someone’s mother for crying over her dead child? Even if the victim were a criminal, doesn’t his mother have a right to mourn? As for whether or not someone should be filming—completely irrelevant. The fact is there was something there to film. Look, I’m a card-carrying conservative who believes that political correctness has done a great deal of damage to our country. But this is a case of absolute unprofessionalism, abuse of power, and racism, plain and simple. To defend this officer in any way is entirely reprehensible.
The thing is he is in a line of work that “by the way he applied for” that requires him to behave in a certain way, you know it’s called the conduct code for officers, he took that oath and him being “off duty” doesnt stop him from being able to make an arrest! My brother is a police officer and he would never except nor condone such behavior from a fellow officer, there is enough corruption in that line of work,Really is this the kind of person you want to protect you kids?
Of course everyone has their opinion and thats their right,but so do I and I personally think it’s wrong to go out in the public that you’re job is to protect and make a fool of yourself,
Obviously he was speaking very loud if it caught someone’s ear, Like most hot heads he wanted to be heard!
Guess he got his wish, and I am glad he did!
Until you work the job? Don’t cast stones. Working daily with criminals, and the criminal element, you take on a bit a jaded view of life, people, and situations.
As to “bar talk”? Agreed. Many a stupid thing has been said in a drunken rant.
People in this day, and age need to LIGHTEN UP, and pull that stick out their keister. For some though, that’s the closest thing they have to a spine.
Everyone at one time or another has made an insensitive joke about something. This man was NOT on duty and was in a bar and drinking. In my opnion, he should not have gotten in trouble at all over this.
This is perfectly understandable. I guess “Sands” thinks that police departments should just hire, spineless, compassionate, weak, officers. Or enact complete Censorship of all officers, 24 hours a day, even with friends, talking about a victim (who could have been a criminal himself, and most likely was in this case). Why does it matter that the officer was white? Maybe the officer doesn’t have compassion for dead criminals of all colors!
What a scumbag! The cop that is. What an unconscionable human being he is. I don’t care what you do for a living, there is no excuse for what he did.
Just goes to show you ...In this time and age you better watch what you do and say…. Never know who is filming and putting it on the internet for the whole world to see!
Bet he felt like a butt after it all blew up in his face! or .... who knows he seems like a bigot to me, Maybe it didnt bother him at all
What a shame!
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement