WMC Action News 5 – Memphis, Tennessee
MPD Interim Police Director Mike Rallings and Mayor Jim Strickland (Source: WMC Action News 5)
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) –
Memphis Police Department clarified that two officers have been relieved of duty with pay following a social media post Mayor Jim Strickland described as “offensive and completely wrong.”
Interim MPD Director Mike Rallings and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city and MPD will thoroughly investigate the offensive social media post.
“At this point two MPD officers have been relieved of duty. The image is disgusting and will not be tolerated. We will conduct a thorough investigation and the individuals responsible will be held responsible,” Rallings said during his press conference
The image being cited as the image that got the two officers fired is a Snapchat picture of a gun being pointed at an emoji of a black man.
“I just spoke to a group of young people at Lemoyne-Owen College for decisions. We are certainly responsible for the decisions we make, and we are held to a higher standard,” Rallings said.
An hour after the press conference, MPD clarified that the two officers had been relieved of duty with pay pending an investigation.
“This image is disgusting and will not be tolerated,” Rallings said.
“You’re in position of authority,” Memphian Sharonda Richards said. “You don’t have any business posting anything like that.”
Everyone WMC Action News 5 showed the picture to said it was inappropriate.
“It makes me very unhappy to do such a cruel thing and think that it’s funny. That’s sick,” Memphian Peggie Sampietro said.
Memphis Police Department has not released the names of the officers who posted the offensive picture.
At Friday’s press conference, Rallings and Strickland also spoke about the continued violence happening around the country.
“We cannot let what happened in other cities skew our thinking. We must stay focused,” Rallings said. “What’s happened over the last few days across the country are unacceptable…This cannot be out new norm”
“I call on us as Memphians to reject this violence. Let us come together in Memphis and beyond to have a peaceful and thoughtful dialog on the issues that confront us,” Strickland said.