Florida Cop Faces Suspension for Trump Mask

Miami officer will be disciplined, officials say
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 21, 2020 3:59 AM CDT
Florida Cop Will Be Disciplined for Trump Mask
In this Sept. 29, 2020, file photo, President Trump holds up his face mask during the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio.   (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

A Miami police officer who wore a Trump campaign mask at a voting station will be disciplined, the mayor says. "There were people claiming it was voter intimidation," Mayor Francis Suarez says, per Fox News. "Officers have a responsibility … to protect our residents and they have to do that in an impartial manner and they can’t be making political statements or making political stances while they are wearing a uniform." Photos of the incident circulated on social media. The mask also included a curse word, the AP reports.

"This behavior is unacceptable, a violation of departmental policy, and is being addressed immediately," the Miami Police Department says in a statement, but it's not clear what disciplinary action will be taken. Suarez said a suspension was possible. He said the officer, who has not been identified by the city, was casting a ballot at the time, though he said he did not know whether the officer was on duty, the Orlando Sentinel reports. "Had he not been voting it would have been a much more serious situation," Suarez said, noting that officers are allowed to vote while in uniform. See the photo, along with the identification of the officer that is circulating in non-official reports, here. (More Election 2020 stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X