New Jersey Corrections Officer Suspended After Caught On Camera Mocking George Floyd's Death At Black Lives Matter Rally
FRANKLINVILLE, N.J. (CBS) -- A New Jersey corrections officer caught on camera mocking George Floyd's death during a Black Lives Matter protest has been suspended from his job. The cellphone video was taken during a Black Lives Matter rally held Monday in Franklinville, Gloucester County.
The man, whose identity has not been verified, was seen kneeling on another man lying down along Delsea Drive, in a pose similar to the one former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin used on Floyd.
In a tweet, the New Jersey Department of Corrections said, "We have been made aware that one of our officers participated in the filming of a hateful and disappointing video that mocked the killing of George Floyd. The individual has been suspended from their post and banned from NJDOC facilities during a thorough and expedited investigation."
— NJ Department of Corrections (@NJ_DOC) June 9, 2020
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also condemned the officer for his actions, tweeting "we won't let the actions of a few distract from our progress toward dismantling systematic racism."
Mocking George Floyd's murder in effort to belittle the calls for justice from our Black and Brown communities is repugnant. I condemn this behavior in the strongest terms possible.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 10, 2020
We won't let the actions of a few distract from our progress toward dismantling systemic racism. https://t.co/Rb1RUsST5I