COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - A City of Miami firefighter has been relieved of duty after he was accused of making controversial remarks about police officers in a text commenting on the passing of Miami-Dade Police Officer Cesar Echaverry.
The unidentified Miami Fire Rescue firefighter made the following comment in a group chat in response to the death of the 29-year-old officer on Wednesday night:
“Who cares? Another dead cop, probably against gun control. They didn’t give an [expletive] when kids were dying in that school shooting they stood outside. Cops exist for the government to exercise its monopoly on violence. They want the whole world to stop when one of theirs goes down. How many idiots I had to transport with honor guard their dead bodies from coronavirus because they all were too stupid to wear masks or get vaccinated? All cops are good for is protecting the rich property owners and the status quo. Everything else is a farce. [Expletive] the police.”
The profanity-laced rant is not the only eyebrow-raising commentary about Monday night’s shooting in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood that claimed Echaverry’s life.
A Miami Police Officer was heard making the following remark on police radio: “Let ‘em know they’re gonna have another officer down if they keep going at 70 miles an hour near my car.”
The officer was commenting on other fast-driving officers rushing to assist in the wake of the gunfire.
The law enforcer was promptly put in his place by a supervisor.
“Let’s try and use a little bit more tact and not hang anybody up. If they have an officer down, they’re gonna pass you at 80 miles and hour next time,” said the supervisor.
Thursday night, Miami Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban issued a comment that reads in part, “We are conducting an investigation into the statements that were made, and the individual has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Zahralban went on to write, “We continue to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in law enforcement, alongside the Echaverry family and the entire Miami-Dade Police Department during this difficult time.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Miami Association of Fire Fighters wrote, “Our firefighters and our Fire Department fully support our police.”
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