Northumbria Police officer sacked for George Floyd and BLM posts

A police officer has been sacked for posting offensive comments on Facebook about George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter protests and LGBT movement.

PC Lee Scott faced six allegations of gross misconduct, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

These included posting an image of Mr Floyd, a black man killed by a white police officer in the US, that had been used by far right groups.

Northumbria Police said the officer's actions were "completely unacceptable".

He was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing on Friday.

Supt Steve Ammari, head of the force's professional standards department, said the case was referred to the IOPC when a colleague "came forward to report concerns".

The IOPC said the "offensive, inappropriate or discriminatory" posts were made in May 2020 and referred to the watchdog the following month.

The allegations included:

The IOPC recommended Mr Scott face gross misconduct proceedings before an independent panel, which concluded the case was proven and he should be dismissed.

IOPC regional director Miranda Biddle said: "There is no place in policing for officers who make offensive comments of any kind, whether on or off duty and whether in a public or private forum.

"We assessed the comments made on Facebook as a whole and concluded that PC Scott had a case to answer for gross misconduct."

The IOPC said Northumbria Police had accepted a number of recommendations including ensuring staff comply with guidelines on internet and social media use.

Mr Ammari said: "We are determined to ensure that the actions of an individual do not undermine the professionalism and commitment displayed every single day by our officers, staff and volunteers."

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