Pleasantville cop suspended, accused of posting racist rant about President Obama
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PLEASANTVILLE — A village police officer has been suspended and could be fired after he apparently posted a racist, obscenity-laced rant about President Obama on his Facebook page.
“The fact that he (Obama) is still alive bewilders me,” Officer Peter Burns allegedly wrote in the post, which was obtained by The Journal News on Thursday. “Go die in a shallow grave you Muslim commie ...”
The post, apparently written on Dec. 11 on a Facebook profile page Burns operated under the name “Coon Trapper,” contained a racial slur, made reference to “1st amendment NSA,” and described Obama as “un-American.”
After being shown a screen grab of the vulgar diatribe late Monday afternoon, Pleasantville Police Chief Richard Love told the newspaper that he was unaware of the post, but would take immediate action. On Tuesday, Love announced that Burns has been relieved of his duties and placed on paid administrative leave.
In a statement to The Journal News, Love said the Facebook post contained “despicable statements,” which he said “are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Love’s statement says that once an internal affairs investigation is complete, “the Police department will consider all legal options, including the possibility of commencing disciplinary proceedings against the Police Officer which could lead to his dismissal.”
The statement did not identify Burns by name.
The Facebook profile page, which was deleted Tuesday morning, contained photos of Burns in hunting gear and camouflage, and included links to hunting and animal trapping websites. The page’s settings were private, meaning that only those who “friended” Burns had access to the Obama post and others on his Facebook page.
Burns, 35, could not be immediately reached for comment. He was hired in 2004 and receives an annual salary of $98,959.
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