Posted on 04/02/2015 1:34:49 PM PDT by Rusty0604
A Texas Department of Public Safety officer has been reprimanded and ordered to undergo counseling for posing in a photo with rapper Snoop Dogg during last months South by Southwest music festival in Austin, TX.
Officer Billy Spears, who is based out of Gilmer, was called to Austin two weeks ago to help work with security for the event. While in a secured area, Snoop encountered Spears and asked if the two could take a photo together.
The rapper then posted the image online:
Me n my deputy dogg, Snoop said.
The Dallas Morning News reports DPS officials saw the post and immediately cited Spears for deficiencies that require counseling for associating with a known criminal.
Officer Spears Attorney, Ty Clevenger, has maintained his client had no knowledge of the rappers past drug convictions, and merely recognized him as a public figure and gave consent for a photograph.
Troopers get called down to work these events all the time and sometimes people want a picture with them, Clevenger told the Morning News.
The attorney then told the paper he believes the action against Spears is a retaliatory action against his client, because the trooper reported an Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer last year for unprofessional conduct.
Because the formal action against Spears only called for counseling and was not considered a formal disciplinary action, the officer cannot appeal the decision.
The attorney has written a letter asking DPS director Steven McCraw to intervene. This is not in their policy. Theyre making this stuff up as they go, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Smart criminals will build a portfolio of selfies with all the cops in town.
This is stupit...
“””Photo shoppers could have a field day with this”””
People shop for photos?
Thats weird.
The funny thing is the “Black community” want Snoop to go to counseling for taking pictures with the cop ...or they suspended his Street creds
That is one fat DPS Trooper....
The one and only Billy Spears?
LOL dat fool is shizzle . .
DPS could also stand for Don’t Photo Snoop
So... how can cops serve a warrant without getting in trouble ?
Someday he may get his wish to be photographed with Barack Hussein Obama.;0
Rumor has it he could have been a POTUS candidate.
Some people think it's cool to hang with outlaws or badboys.
Others beg to differ.
Cost the Sheriff of Lake County her job, too, after JD escaped and fled in her new Ford.
I wonder if they have same attidude about dash cams, there is photograh/ video of cops consorting with known criminals.
Public relations is supposed to be part of the job when police work security at public events like this, isn’t it?
“Cops “associate” with known and unknown criminals all the time. It part of the job.”
Indeed. If having a photograph of you taken with a criminal requires counseling, then every cop with a dashcam is in big trouble!
Interesting.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.