Florida police union head apologizes for post offering to hire 'Buffalo 57,' 'Atlanta 6' cops who were fired, resigned over police misconduct
VIERA, Fla. -- The president of a Fraternal Order of Police chapter along Florida's Space Coast is apologizing for a social media post over the weekend that encouraged officers linked to departments accused of using excessive force during recent protests to apply for jobs in Florida.
Bert Gamin, president of the Fraternal Order of Police lodge in Brevard County, Florida called his post "in poor taste" in a statement sent to local news media.
The message posted over the weekend on the Brevard FOP Facebook page said, "Hey Buffalo 57 ... and Atlanta 6 ... we are hiring in Florida. Lower taxes, no spineless leadership or dumb mayors rambling on at press conferences ... Plus ... we got your back!" It ended with the hashtags "lawandorderflorida" and "movetowhereyouare."
In Atlanta, two officers were fired and face criminal charges after video showed them using stun guns on a couple of college students during a large protest. Other officers were placed on desk duty.
In Buffalo, New York, dozens of police officers stepped down from the department's crowd control unit last week, objecting to the suspensions of two fellow officers in the shoving of a 75-year-old protester who fell and cracked his head.
In Florida, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey distanced himself from the FOP post Monday, calling it "distasteful and insensitive to current important and critical issues that are occurring across our country."
"While I absolutely understand everyone's concerns regarding this post and it's inflammatory nature, please understand and accept that our agency had nothing to do with it's occurrence and does not condone it's content in any way!!" Ivey wrote on Facebook.
