Cop Punished For Celebrating Rapper’s Death On Social Media
A Pittsburgh police officer by the name of Brian Martin has been placed on desk duty after celebrating Jimmy Wopo’s death in a Facebook post, the Pittsburgh mayor’s office announced on June 25.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Martin’s since-deleted post in question came in response to another user’s comment about the city’s reaction to Wopo’s fatal shooting. “No one protesting for him? Everyone forgot about the wopo murder that quick?” the user wrote. Martin replied, “Not me. I’m still celebrating.”
Pittsburgh police announced they were investigating Martin on Friday after screenshots of the Facebook post started circulating throughout social media. “We will hold this officer accountable for his actions,” a spokesman said in a statement. “Comments that disparage victims and endanger the community and fellow officers will not be tolerated by the City of Pittsburgh.”
While announcing Martin’s reassignment, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto seemed less focused on victims and the community, and more focused on the safety of police officers. “It was a comment that not only created additional duress during this situation but also put his fellow officers in potential danger,” he told the Post-Gazette.
The Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board is also investigating Martin for potentially violating the police department’s social media policy, Executive Director Elizabeth Pittinger said Monday.
Jimmy Wopo was killed in a reported “ambush” in Pittsburgh while sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2007 Mazda. He was 21 years old.
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