Anti-Black Lives Matter Comment Leads to New Rochelle Cop's Suspension

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A police sergeant in New Rochelle was suspended without pay for writing a criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement on Facebook.

The Journal News said Christopher Castiglia was suspended Tuesday for a post dated July 8 that told people not to call police when they are in trouble but to call the leader of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The New Rochelle Police Department responded to the suspension on its Facebook page.

“The post was neither made with the knowledge or approval of the Department, nor does it reflect the opinions of the Police Department and its members,” the post said. “This matter is being fully investigated and discipline will be forthcoming should it be determined that the individual member violated the Department’s policy governing the use of social media.”

The post went on to say that the NRPD would continue to foster trust, cooperation and communication between the department and the community.

Comments on the department’s Facebook page were overwhelmingly in favor of the officer and against the actions of his superiors.

Richard Sanders, whose Facebook page identifies him as a retired New York City police officer and who went to Clarkstown North High School, wrote: “Freedom of speech. Period. They hypocrisy of this country crazy. Hope he sues and wins big.”

Black Westchester, the website that broke the story of Castiglia’s suspension, quoted New Rochelle City Councilman Jared Rice, who said the city takes seriously improving police-community relations and “today’s actions reflect just that.”

For more read the Journal News and Black Westchester.

Image via Shutterstock.