City officer on desk duty after online post
Remark referred to rapper’s death
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A Pittsburgh police officer has been put on desk duty after a controversial post on social media, the mayor’s office said Monday.
In a Facebook post that began circulating online Friday, Officer Brian M. Martin appeared to say he was “celebrating” the recent death of rapperJimmy Wopo.
Officer Martin declined to comment when reached by phone Monday. He was hired in 2016 and works in Zone 6 in the West End.
On Friday, Pittsburgh police confirmed that they were aware of “a Facebook post by a city officer” and said the city’s Office of Municipal Investigations was investigating. They did not name the officer.
“We will hold this officer accountable for his actions,” police spokesman Chris Togneri said in a statement Friday. “Comments that disparage victims and endanger the community and fellow officers will not be tolerated by the city of Pittsburgh.”
Mr. Togneri said in a news release Monday that the officer had been placed on “modified duty” and referred further questions to city administration. Timothy McNulty, spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto, said the officer was on desk duty.
Jimmy Wopo, 21, whose real name was Travon Smart, was killed June 18 in a drive-by shooting in the Hill District.
It’s not immediately clear when the Facebook exchange involving Officer Martin took place, although other users took screenshots and shared them widely on Friday, shortly before police confirmed OMI was investigating.
In the exchange, one user said no one was protesting as a result of Wopo’s death, although the city had seen widespread protests regarding the fatal police shooting of Antwon Rose II. Antwon, 17, was shot a week ago as he ran from East Pittsburgh Officer Michael Rosfeld.
“No one protesting for him?” the post reads in part. “Everyone forgot about the wopo (sic) murder that quick?”
Officer Martin replied, “Not me. I’m still celebrating.”
Mr. Peduto said the officer was sent home on the night that command staff became aware of the post and was “temporarily relieved”of his duties pending the OMI investigation.
“It was a comment that not only created additional duress during this situation but also put his fellow officers in potential danger,” Mr. Peduto said, declining to elaborate.
In addition to the OMI investigation, Elizabeth Pittinger, executive director of the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board, said she opened an investigation Monday into the Facebook post.
Pittsburgh police policy requires that officers refrain from making any statements or speeches on social media that “may be deemed to be unlawful, obscene, defamatory, or would tend to destroy the respect or diminish confidence in the operations of the Bureau of Police.”