Officials incensed by firefighter’s post on beatings

Facebook comment cheered police involved in West Hill incident

ALBANY — A city firefighter is under investigation for a Facebook comment cheering on police officers accused of beating three men during an incident last month.

Derek Rose, 51, wrote Wednesday, “Thump those thugs. They didn’t use enough force,” in response to an Albany Police union post in which the union expressed its support for the officers involved in a March 16 incident.

Rose hung up on a Times Union reporter on Thursday and did not respond to a text message seeking comment. The comment disappeared from the union’s Facebook page on Thursday afternoon.

Fire Chief Joseph Gregory said the comments were not representative of the department but said he could not comment further because it was a personnel matter.

“At this point, we’re going to do an investigation,” he said.

In a statement, Mayor Kathy Sheehan called the comments “crass.”

“We hold all city employees to a high standard as public servants, and all Albany Police Department and Fire Department members are sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of New York. A crass, ignorant statement like this is unbecoming of anyone who takes that oath,” she said.

The police union posted its statement after Sheehan and Police Chief Eric Hawkins said Tuesday that officer Luke Deer was charged with felony assault and two other officers were suspended in connection with an investigation in to an altercation in West Hill.

Police were called about 4 a.m. to 523 First St. for a noise complaint.

Police originally charged three men, Armando Sanchez, Mario Gorostiza and Anthony Childs with a variety of offenses, including inciting a riot, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.

However cellphone footage from a bystander prompted the department to investigate the arrests and body camera footage from the officers present at the scene.

Officer Deer was charged with assault and official misconduct and officer Matthew Seeber and another officer, who officials have not yet identified, were suspended without pay. City officials say more charges may be filed as the investigation continues.

On Wednesday, the Albany County District Attorney’s office asked a city court judge to dismiss all charges against the three men arrested on First Street after reviewing body camera footage that showed officers kicking in Childs’ door and repeatedly striking the three men as they arrested them.

All the charges were dismissed.