A Massachusetts police officer has been fired after writing an insensitive Facebook post that mocked protesters in Charlottesville who were run down by a car.
Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri announced Friday that he had fired Officer Conrad Lariviere for conduct that ‘discredited the department’, reported MassLive.com.
On August 12, Lariviere fell under national scrutiny when he posted inflammatory comments on his personal Facebook page.
In response to an article about a car driven by a suspected neo-Nazi through a crowd of demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia, Lariviere wrote: ‘Hahahaha love this. Maybe people shouldn’t block roadways’.
Massachusetts police officer Conrad Lariviere (pictured) has been fired after writing an insensitive Facebook post that mocked protesters in Charlottesville who were run down by a car during a white nationalist rally
On August 12, Lariviere fell under national scrutiny when he posted ‘Hahahaha love this. Maybe people shouldn’t block roadways’ in response to an article about a car driven by a suspected neo-Nazi through a crowd of demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia
Lariviere (left and right) accused his critics of living ‘in a fantasy land with the rest of America while I deal with the real danger’. He later apologized and said he was ‘good man who made a stupid comment’
The comment was poorly received, in particular because 19 people were injured and one person, 20-year-old Heather Heyer, was killed. The driver, James Alex Field, has been charged with second-degree murder.
In the comment sections, Lariviere soon identified himself as a police officer and said his critics ‘live in a fantasy land with the rest of America while I deal with the real danger’.
The comments drew widespread backlash after they were noticed online and thousands signed a petition calling for Lariviere to be fired.
The day after his remarks were posted, the officer told MassLive.com he was a ‘good man who made a stupid comment’ and that he was criticizing the blocking of roadways by the public.
However, many local officials including Mayor Domenic Sarno and the local chapter of the NAACP, all criticized the post.
Lariviere, a three-year veteran of the Springfield Department, was immediately removed from patrol and assigned to internal duties.
The comments drew widespread backlash after they were noticed online and thousands signed a petition calling for Lariviere to be fired (Pictured, a car drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville on August 12)
Nineteen people were injured after the car plowed into white nationalist rally protesters and one person, 20-year-old Heather Heyer (left), was killed. The driver, James Alex Field (right), has been charged with second-degree murder
Lariviere, a three-year veteran of the Springfield Department, was immediately removed from patrol and assigned to internal duties (Pictured, people fly into the air as a car drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville)
The Springfield police officers’ union protested Lariviere’s termination and expects an appeal (Pictured, bystanders treat an injured person after a vehicle drove into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville)
Barbieri, in a brief statement, said he reached his decision after the Community Police Hearing Board reviewed Lariviere’s case on November 21.
‘The Community Police Review Board determined that Officer Lariviere was in violation of Springfield Police Department rules, regulations and policies,’ Barbieri said.
‘It was determined that Officer Lariviere impaired the operation of the Springfield Police Department or its employees and discredited the department.’
The Springfield police officers’ union protested Lariviere’s termination and expects an appeal. The union said the dismissal was political.