A Miami police officer could face suspension after he was photographed wearing a mask promoting President Donald Trump inside an early voting site while wearing his uniform.
Miami-Dade County Democratic Chairman Steve Simeonidis tweeted Tuesday a photo of the officer, saying it was taken inside a polling place at the county government center. It shows the officer wearing a blue, white and red Trump 2020 mask containing a phrase with a curse word.
“This is city funded voter intimidation,” Simeonidis tweeted, calling for the officer’s suspension.
https://twitter.com/stevesimeonidis/status/1318564688507080712?s=20
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez held a press conference Tuesday to address the situation. He said the officer was in line to vote, and the mask violated department and polling place policy because it promoted a political candidate. He said the officer would be disciplined and said a suspension was a possibility.
“There were people claiming it was voter intimidation,” Suarez said. “Officers have a responsibility … to protect our residents and they have to do that in an impartial manner and they can’t be making political statements or making political stances while they are wearing a uniform.”
Suarez said officers are allowed to vote while in uniform.
“Had he not been voting it would have been a much more serious situation,” the mayor added.
Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina issued a statement Tuesday calling the behavior “unacceptable” and a violation of departmental policy. He said the action was being “addressed immediately.”
It was unknown whether the officer was on duty at the time, Suarez said.
Tommy Reyes, president of the officer’s union, said in a statement that police officers have free-speech rights under the U.S. Constitution, and state law allows officers to vote in uniform. Reyes also pointed out that the union, Fraternal Order of Police, has endorsed Trump’s re-election bid at the national level.
(AP)
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4 Responses
He should be suspended for stupidity. Obviously, a police officer or member of the military has the same first amendment rights as any other person and he/she can vote for anyone, even in uniform. However, if you are police or military, you know from Day one on the job, you cannot do so in uniform while simultaneously showing your political affiliations or support for a particular candidate. Thats been the rule forever, in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Only a democrat would punish a police officer for supporting the President.
But yet, an officer in uniform can kneel before a radical black BLM thug on a City street in front of all the cameras. Lt. Robert Cattani did. Go figure. The media’s double standard is very telling.
No doubt this police officer would be treated differently if he wore BLM face mask.