Police Officer Fired Over Facebook Comments On Ferguson
An Illinois police officer was fired after officials determined a Facebook post “would undermine the credibility of the city or employees” which referenced the shooting of Michael Brown at the hands of a Ferguson cop.
Chicago police officer Jason A. Lenz has been fired, authorities say because of Facebook posts he allegedly made, according to ABC 7.
[su_center_ad]Lentz was a 17-year veteran of the Elgin Police Department. Police Chief Jeffrey Swoboda said in a statement that Lentz was fired on Monday after it was determined the officer engaged in conduct that “would undermine the credibility of the city or employees.”
Swoboda added, “Our relationship with the community is based upon trust. When an officer violates this trust, action must be taken.”
Deputy Police Chief Bill Wolf said he also violated the police department’s general rules and regulations and the police department’s relatively new policy about off-duty use of social media, which prohibit even private social media comments that would discredit the police department, according to The Courier-News.
Lentz allegedly wrote on Facebook that Missouri police officer Darren Wilson “did society a favor” when he shot and killed Ferguson teenager Michael Brown.
In another post, Lentz praised a parent’s decision to keep a child out of school on Veterans Day, noting schools are closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Lentz was previously warned to remove a post, however, he opted to just shorten his comment instead.
On Aug. 4, 2013, Lentz wrote his thoughts on political correctness.
“In order to maintain some sense of sanity and security I am going to post this warning to all. I do not believe in political correctness. I believe that the state of this nation is due to everyone being overly PC. What happened to having thick skin?” the post consisting of 3 paragraphs began.
Via the Courier:
An Aug. 2013 post berated police agencies for canceling a training session focused on Islam.
“… A police training class is cancelled because of protests from a Muslim civil liberties group. The class title ‘Islamic Awareness as a Counter-Terrorist Strategy.’ Hmmm …another way to thwart law enforcement efforts from learning about threats to our cities and nation,” the post states.
Another post in the past year was a photo of a parent letter to a school, indicating that a child would not attend school on Veterans Day until students attend school on Martin Luther King Day. Lentz remarked “Hell Yeah!!! I think next year I’ll keep the kids home.”
In another Ferguson-related post, on Aug. 17 Lentz posted a photo of Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson standing with a young black man, both of whom are making an “OK” sign with their hands. “He is also in the Chicago Tribune hugging protesters. Just awesome … appears to be the enemy within,” Lentz wrote. According to the Washington Post, the “OK” sign signifies the Kappa Alpha Psi, a black fraternity Johnson was a member of in college.
Lentz’s previous suspensions — in which he was removed from duty for a set number of days without pay — occurred in 2001, 2012 and June.
In the 2001 incident, Lentz and four other officers were disciplined for disparaging comments made about a supervisor while using the Police Department’s in-car computer system. That led to a three-day suspension for Lentz. Other officers received various suspensions for that incident as well.
In 2012, he was given a one-day suspension for refusing to appear as a witness in court. In that case, Lentz told a supervisor and an assistant Kane County states attorney that as he was set to fly out for vacation the day he was needed in court, he would not attend.
Also considered in the 2012 suspension was an inappropriate email Lentz sent via his personal cell phone to the entire Police Department, records state.
Then, in March, Lentz is accused of sending an email on the city system with a message that included profanity, and posting an inappropriate message on his Facebook page “indicating the fabrication of police calls for service,” and participating in a messaging conversation on the city’s squad computers referencing the fabrication of police calls.
I wonder if he wore an ‘I am Darren Wilson” bracelet, too.
H/T: The incomparable @CarlaAkins with thanks. [su_csky_ad]
Mike Butkus Jr. October 2nd, 2014 at 9:41 am
The Rush Limbaugh crowed will call Lenz a hero no doubt.
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:44 pm
MIKE,BUTKUS, I GUESS YOU CALL MICHAEL BROWN, THE THUG WHO ROBBED A STORE AND ATTACKED AN EMPLOYEE A HERO!!
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 12:16 am
he didn’t attack the employee. and wilson is a racist murderer, who’s the thug with a gun and coward. and like a coward, he’s in hiding.
Mike Butkus Jr. October 18th, 2014 at 2:28 pm
LOL! What? I’m a little hard of hearing. Isn’t Brown (talking in a megaphone) DEAD!!! You should be very happy, don’t understand your hostilities?
crc3 October 2nd, 2014 at 9:50 am
We need a lot more firings of cops in this country for these bigoted comments and how they treat blacks vs whites in incidents…
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:42 pm
HOW ABOUT A LOT MORE SHOOTING OF LOOTERS AND PROTESTERS TRYING TO KILL POLICE OFFICERS???
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 12:14 am
how about you shut up.
crc3 October 18th, 2014 at 9:03 am
How about you stop using the CAPS lock to make a point. Then you need to work on bigoted comments. The fact is there are good cops and bad cops. Thinking all cops are good is just moronic…
Billy Jackson October 2nd, 2014 at 9:52 am
Man, these guys can’t help themselves. They should have learned by now the only safe way to project their stupid thoughts is to secretly decode them on toilet paper while wiping their ass.
mea_mark October 2nd, 2014 at 11:11 am
Great, another cop getting ready to move south to look for a job in a small rural white town. These bad cops need to be prevented from working in law enforcement anywhere or we are just going to concentrate them in areas where their bigotry and hate is welcomed.
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:41 pm
Guess you are an Obama/Sharpton azz kisser….mea. you are a certified nut.
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 12:13 am
see. people like you always use President Obama or Sharpton in a conversation where they aren’t needed. when you can articulate a response that’s involves the topic at hand, you inform us all what and who you really are. uneducated idiots.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 8:59 am
More importantly, I am a moderator and you are troll with no redeeming value, which means you are now banned. Thanks for stopping by.
StoneyCurtisll October 2nd, 2014 at 11:41 am
Rule #1 about Facebook and other social media sites…
Never post anything you wouldn’t want your mother or your employer to see~!
Especially if your are a public servant.
Glad to see this cop lost his job..
I’m sure he will find another one..
Hopefully it will not include a badge and firearm.
Mike Butkus Jr. October 2nd, 2014 at 12:27 pm
If you are a racist cop please disregard this advice. We want to know who you are.
StoneyCurtisll October 2nd, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Indeed~!
Skydog2 October 2nd, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Political correctness has pushed some racism under ground.
Mike Butkus Jr. October 2nd, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Ok I’ll buy that, now onto pushing religious zealots underground.
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:40 pm
Political correctness is destroying our once great nation.
NEXT HING YOU KNOW WE’LL HAVE PHONE MESSAGES FROM BUSINESS IN EBONICS AS WELL AS SPANISH.
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 12:11 am
says the illiterate.
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:39 pm
Freedom of speech is allowed for officers as well as the scumbags like Holder, SHARPTON, JACKSON etc..
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 12:09 am
listen KKK member. sharpton and jackson are not public employees. if you are that stupid to realize that, then maybe you shouldn’t be commenting. and we don’t need racists on the police force. FIRED FIRED FIRED.
Obewon October 18th, 2014 at 12:44 am
For a real laugh checkout rubber room Myke Britt’s ignorant posting history! He’s so funny everybody points & laughs exclaiming ‘that’s what happens when incest family trees don’t fork!’
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 1:05 am
“…incest family tree doesn’t fork!'” LMAO!!!!
Mike Butkus Jr. October 18th, 2014 at 2:34 pm
Your not paying attention, I’m encouraging him to use his first amendment rights. Silly you
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:38 pm
I’m sure there are plenty of non political correctness police departments that will offer this outstandin AMERICAN OFFICER A JOB!
You suck *zz liberal/communists need to take a fast boat to Cuba..
Obewon October 18th, 2014 at 12:18 am
Canadian Cuban birther Ted Cruz / GOP’s manly KGB man Putin in 2016~ Yeah! Oh wait Raphael fought for communism with Castro…
StoneyCurtisll October 18th, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Cry baby.
Barry Crimm October 2nd, 2014 at 11:59 am
One down, countless thousands to go.
tracey marie October 2nd, 2014 at 12:08 pm
Good, racism needs to be confronted, rejected and in the case of cops, fire them
Skydog2 October 2nd, 2014 at 12:44 pm
Either get with the PC program (e.g. MLK deserves a holiday) or get labeled a racist and get fired.
tracey marie October 2nd, 2014 at 2:00 pm
grow up
majii October 2nd, 2014 at 9:45 pm
After reading this, I’m sure Lentz won’t have to look for a babysitter when he keeps his kids out of school on Veterans’ Day 2015.
Making a big to-do about kids attending school on Veterans’ Day shows me how dumb Lentz is. Whether a school system closes schools on VD is left entirely up to the board of education. I taught for @ 25 years before the system where I worked decided to close schools on VD. All of the other years, teachers and students worked and attended school on VD. The decision to not hold classes on VD is not a federal decision, nor is it a state decision, it’s a board of education decision.
I also notice that Lentz relied heavily on Fox News to shape the views he expressed on Facebook. I can well-imagine now that, in reflection, he wishes he hadn’t played parrot to Fox News’ disinformation campaign. Oh, well, some people have to be hit really hard before they realize that there are just some things one doesn’t do/say.
Myke Britt October 17th, 2014 at 11:36 pm
majii, either you are an Obama a*z kisser or just stupid..OR BOTH!
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 12:06 am
what does President Obama have to do with the decision this ass wipe decided to make. he’s fired and that’s the way it should be. you have the audacity to call someone stupid, when you, just like this ex-cop (i love saying that) are the ones who’s stupid and ignorant. he’s works for the public. the public pays his salary. if he wanted to keep his job, then he should have remembered who his employers were. FIRED FIRED FIRED…!!! NO PENSION. now he can go and collect welfare. he shouldn’t be embarrassed by it, he’s used to living off the tax payers anyway.
Jimmy Smith October 19th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
ODS – everything wrong in America is Obama’s fault to those with this mental deficiency