A “proud” Missouri “cracker” and a KKKop whose pseudonym on social media was apparently inspired by a leadership position in the Ku Klux Klan have been terminated after a watchdog group discovered Facebook posts by nearly two dozen St. Louis police officers displaying bigotry, hatred and a predilection for violence.
The Metropolitan Police Department of St. Louis confirmed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that 32-year veteran Sgt. Ronald Hasty and 30-year veteran Detective Thomas Mabrey were no longer with the department as of Nov. 27. Hasty and Mabrey were fired for “conduct unbecoming an officer,” although some would argue that cops putting their bigotry on public display proves that racism is becoming the conduct of most police officers.
In June, the Plain View Project published a study showing racist Facebook posts by police officers in a number of major cities. Hasty and Mabrey were two of 22 St. Louis officers included in the expose that included Islamophobic, violent and anti-black articles, memes and photos.
Following the Plain View Project report, the Ethical Society of Police, a group of black police officers, also called out Hasty and Mabrey for their online racism. They pointed out Mabrey’s displays of white nationalist tendencies and noted that Hasty’s pseudonym derived from a position in the Ku Klux Klan.
But the men claim they are being discriminated against and vowed to fight for their right to get back out on the street and kick more black ass. Hasty insisted that he wasn’t a racist and even said his racist friends would vouch for him.
“I’m not a racist. You can talk to any of my friends,” he told the Post-Dispatch in June, adding: “Well, that’s what they’re claiming, but last I checked I had First Amendment rights.”
Attorney Brian Millikan, who represents the cops, claims that neither Hasty nor Mabrey has ever had any discrimination complaints lodged against them and argued that the racist posts were made as private citizens. He also revealed that there were other officers who were put on desk duty after the posts were exposed but would not comment on their employment status.
“It’s important to note that these two officers had long careers,” explained Millikan. “We believe discipline should be based on their actual record and not something they shared on Facebook as private citizens.”
In 2006, Ron “Nighthawkkk” Hasty was named the St. Louis Police Department’s Officer of the Year.
He has also been nominated for “Cracker of the Year” for three years in a row but Donald Trump keeps taking home the trophy.