CHARLES COUNTY, Md. - A Maryland officer has been suspended after making a post on his Facebook page about two teenagers who were killed in a crash last week. On his personal Facebook page, The officer wrote, "F*** 'em, shouldn't have been driving that fast."
A Charles County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told FOX 5 that the officer was suspended as a result of the Facebook post, which referred to a crash that killed two Westlake High School students on Friday afternoon. Colin Bipat and Desmond Cooke, both 17, died after the car they were riding in crashed into a pole at the intersection of Smallwood Drive and Nicholas Drive in Waldorf. A Westlake High student, 18-year-old Caleb Marshall, was airlifted to a local hospital.
In a statement, Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry said he had spoken to the officer on Monday morning about the "highly inappropriate and extremely insensitive" Facebook post.
“This morning, I called the employee into my office and personally dealt with him in reference to his comment," Sheriff Berry said. "The employee has been suspended pending further administrative actions."
Read Sheriff Berry's full statement below:
"Friday, March 3, 2017, was a horrific day in Charles County. Three crashes, four deaths, and a person seriously injured. Young people with their entire lives ahead of them gone way too soon. And to make matters worse, one of our own employees, a sworn officer, made a remark on his personal social media page that was highly inappropriate and extremely insensitive. His remark saddens me for many reasons. Mostly, because it was hurtful, not only to the families of the deceased, but also to the men and women of the Charles County Sheriff's Office who have worked so hard to protect our young drivers through the WE CARE program and other initiatives.
Since I became Sheriff, my goal has been to foster a relationship with our community that is built on integrity, respect, service, and compassion for others. One disgusting comment, one insensitive sentence, and an officer's total lack of judgment certainly has the potential to harm that relationship.
When our administration was made aware of the comment, we reached out to the employee, who acknowledged the post and indicated he had already removed it and issued an apology on his site. This employee should have known better, as he was once assigned to the very same unit that handles these types of accident scenes. He has therefore seen the impact that fatal car crashes have on families, friends, and the community at large.
As your Sheriff, I would like to express my sincerest apology to the citizens of Charles County, and especially to the families who are now grieving the loss of their loved ones. The comment that was made by one individual does not reflect the opinions of myself nor the Charles County Sheriff's Office. All of us here take this incident very seriously.
This morning, I called the employee into my office and personally dealt with him in reference to his comment. The employee has been suspended pending further administrative actions.
I ask that we all continue to pray for the families and friends of the victims. We will continue working directly with them, as we have been, as their grieving continues."