St. Pete Police Officer Fired For Derisive Comments About Gangs

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A St. Petersburg Police Command Review Board has upheld the firing of Police Officer David Garrett for comments he made in a discussion on a social media site.

St Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway released the results of the board’s review Wednesday, April 11, saying Garrett’s comments Officer Garrett's comments on social media “brought

discredit to himself, the department and adversely affected his job as well as his reputation or goodwill in the community.

A three-year employee of the St. Petersburg Police, Garrett was fired on Dec. 27 for conduct unbecoming an employee after he joined a discussion on a social media site about teens who choose to join a gang.

He shared a Youtube video of what he said was a youth gang in St. Petersburg, adding, “I’ve arrested many, many of the people in the videos,” hinting that he was a police officer.

He also said: “They are a lost cause. They deserve death or prison. There is no saving them." And, later, “Incarcerate all of them.”

Although Garrett used a fake name online and did not directly identify himself as a police officer, a member of the public was able to identify Garrett from photos he posted of himself in uniform on his social media site and filed a complaint with police.

Image via St. Pete Police