Posted on 04/24/2009 3:25:52 PM PDT by billorites
Five Philadelphia police officers were fired yesterday for alleged misconduct, including two incidents in which officers were accused of using racial slurs.
Among them was William Thrasher, 24, who allegedly called African Americans in his 22d District "animals" and worse.
Thrasher, who had been on the force for two years, was quoted by a Temple University journalism student who was riding with him on patrol for a class assignment.
Shannon McDonald's article was posted on a Temple Web site. Philadelphia media picked up the quotes, which prompted demands for Thrasher's firing.
Officers Donald Swan and Anthony Ferriola were also dismissed on allegations that they used racial epithets on the job. The remarks allegedly were made toward students while the two responded to a fight March 13 inside Audenried High School in South Philadelphia.
The remaining two officers, John Safarowicz and Sgt. Paul Seeger, were terminated for alleged conduct in separate off-duty incidents. They also were criminally charged yesterday.
All five officers were officially suspended 30 days with intent to dismiss. The firings were announced in a news release. Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey was not immediately available for comment.
John McNesby, president of Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said the union would file grievances on behalf of the officers and then review the internal investigations that had been conducted for each of them.
As for the alleged racial slurs, McNesby said the police union did not condone such behavior but questioned whether discipline short of firing was more appropriate.
During the ride-along, Thrasher allegedly referred to the violence in his predominantly African American district as "typical n- s-" or "TNS."
Chris Harper, the associate journalism professor at Temple who edited McDonald's article, said the commissioner's action vindicated the accuracy of McDonald's work.
McDonald, a 21-year-old senior who is about to graduate, went on a three-hour ride with Thrasher on Jan. 30 for Temple's Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, which is the final required course for a journalism major.
"A journalist did her job," Harper said. "She reported a story. That story was investigated by the Police Department."
After the article gained regional attention, Harper said, McDonald "handled the attention with poise, grace, and sincerity."
The article is still online at www.temple.edu/murl
In a Philadelphia Daily News article about the episode, Ramsey said: "I take this very, very seriously. It's not supposed to happen. You can't serve people you don't respect."
James Golden, chief safety executive for the Philadelphia School District, said: "We are grateful for [Ramsey's] swift and direct action in this case."
Golden said a large fight in Audenried's cafeteria had required a response from school and city police. During the response, students complained, and teachers and other staff allegedly heard Swan and Ferriola utter racial epithets at students.
Swan was a four-year veteran. Ferriola joined the department three years ago.
In the Seeger case, the department said he had become involved in a dispute with family members while at home Sept. 19.
When Seventh District officers responded to the disturbance, Seeger orally threatened the officers and a supervisor, the department said.
Yesterday, Seeger, who had been with the department for 14 years and was assigned to the 25th District, was charged with one count of terrorist threats and one count of disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.
Safarowicz, while off-duty Sept. 21, identified himself as a police officer and pushed his way into a residence in the 4100 block of Merrick Street in Roxborough, where he threatened and assaulted the occupants, the department said.
Safarowicz, who had been with the force for 11 years and was assigned to the 39th District, was charged with burglary and criminal trespass, both felonies, and related offenses.
Ridiculous
I don't think that he should be fired for what he said. Maybe he should be fired for saying in front of a "journalism student." If he doesn't know that a journalism student has no other purpose than to destroy someone the officer is lacking in judgment.
I don't think that he should be fired for what he said. Maybe he should be fired for saying in front of a "journalism student." If he doesn't know that a journalism student has no other purpose than to destroy someone the officer is lacking in judgment.
Seems S.O.P. of the union is to file grievances no matter how egregious the misconduct. Faking official business to burglarize a house and threaten the occupants is quite different than calling a neighborhood thick with thugs (of any color) “animals.” Seems there should be a significant penalty to the union when it makes frivolous claims.
Well, if you are in one of the black sections of Philadelphia, and the neighborhood is full of criminal animals—which I am afraid is true of a large part of Philadelphia, then what he said was perfectly true.
And in part, at least, they are criminal animals because they have been taught—by rappers, by friends, by the culture—that this is what black kids do. It’s how they express themselves.
Still, it’s not very tactful to put it that way. Maybe they should have suspended him for a week. Fire him? Well, I kind of hope this smug little itty-bitty girly journalist gets mugged and needs a policeman sometime soon. Then maybe she’ll learn what it’s all about.
Among them was William Thrasher, 24,
McDonald, a 21-year-old senior who is about to graduate, went on a three-hour ride with Thrasher
Anyone else think it was stupid for the Department to send this 21 year old female college student out on a 3 hour patrol with a 23 year old 2 year on the force officer????
While any Police Officer should know to keep their mouth shut tight around anyone connect to the press, the 23 year old had the deckstacked against him.....
I don't even see where the comments were recorded by the journalist. Were these guys fired based on a college kid's word? I sure hope McDonald is squeaky clean. Payback's a b*tch.
This is the stuff that makes you want to throw slurs.
Thrasher is too stupid to be a Policeman. You can't run your mouth like that.
The community is well aware of what has been happening to the Philadelphia police in the last year or two. It has been open season on them and many have died. Who is doing it? WE all know who is doing it. They are also murdering community members without regard to age or sex. They shoot children. Animal is too nice a word for what is roaming the streets of Philly. Officer Danny Faulkner died decades ago at the hand of Mumia Abu Jamal, the black panther killer. Mumia has become a hero to some. It must be a real treat to watch Mumia supporters wear the shirts and demonstrate. God Bless the Philadelphia police.
How can anyone be expected to respect a group of people behaving like animals, regardless of their color?
Seems to me the stupidity level of cops in the last 5 to 7 years has risen dramatically. To say those things in front of a liberal journalism major is idiotic. Good riddance. We have too many cops anyway.
You couldn’t pay me enough money to risk my life in an inner city sewer like Philadelphia to protect a much too often ungrateful public. Animals at their zoo wouldn’t want to escape their confines in that city. It’s too dangerous.
I figure that this 23 year old cop with only 2 years on the job, was trying to impress 21 year old Shannon McDonald with some of the comments he was making. He should have been formally counseled for his behavior, if it was proven that he actually said what the journalist claims he said. But calling the criminals in the district "f-ing animals" is not a reason to dismiss someone.
Thrasher was fired for illegal use of honesty when confronting African-Americans.
Look what happened to Mark Fuhrman and that was in 1995. It is much worse now.
Yep, that's the deal.
"I sure hope McDonald is squeaky clean. Payback's a b*tch."
I don't think I'll be contradicted when I say that, as a female journalism student, McDonald poops vanilla ice cream...
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.