Pat Shearer, Police Sergeant Who Posted Bullet-Riddled Image Of Obama, Suspended And Demoted

A police sergeant in Arizona who got into hot water for posting a picture on his Facebook account featuring a bullet-marked image of President Obama was demoted and suspended, according to officials.

Pat Shearer, who took the picture, will be demoted to the rank of officer and suspended without pay for two weeks. "We expect our employees to exercise sound judgment and not bring discredit upon our police department," Police Chief Roy Minter said in a written statement.

The Secret Service began an investigation into the photograph, but told Reuters that it was not pursuing any action against Shearer. The photo depicted a group of seven teenagers holding firearms and holding a T-shirt with Shepard Fairey's famous portrait of Obama. The shirt appeared to be shot through with bullets. The Secret Service investigates all threats against a president, even ones made in jest.

"I don't think that the shooting of that T-shirt is that big of a deal," Shearer told ABC15 in Phoenix. "It was more of a political statement," he told ABC15. "It's not like they were going to go out and shoot the president," he said of the teens.

Shortly after taking office, President Obama was receiving about 30 death threats a day, according to the book In The President's Secret Service.

Comments

[fauxnews lol]

04:56 PM on 03/09/2012

why do all coservative states suck ???? and why are they loaded with trailer parks??

[Tmus82]

10:49 AM on 03/05/2012

Just when you think Arizona couldn't get any worse.

[award12]

12:48 AM on 03/04/2012

Avoid Arizona at all cost. They are insane there. And I'm starting with law enforcement and the Govenor

[Anthony Wyde]

03:58 PM on 03/03/2012

He should've been fired...how stupid can u be to post someting like that to facebook...how did he become police sergeant. If the next president is white is he going to take a shirt and shoot it up if he disagrees with him.

[eden4barack08]

02:57 PM on 03/03/2012

This is getting sickening. Way too many of these incidents happening.

Btw, why's this relegated to the BlackVoices section?

[Edbeason]

01:25 PM on 03/04/2012

That's the first question the comes to mind for me. It's as if they don't believe this is an important story for all to know about here.

[LotusGarden]

03:49 PM on 03/04/2012

Come on now, this blog is not concerned about black ppl and could give less than a damn about the black President of the United States. It has been reported that the president has received the most death threats in the history of the United States. How simply disgusting is that to know?

[KIampfbeobachter]

01:20 PM on 03/03/2012

It seems to me that when you are a police officer in the US you can even threaten to assassinate or entice others to assassinate the president with impunity. Especially when said president is black!
And don't tell me being demoted and suspended for two weeks constitutes "punishment".

[jagcapt007]

01:20 PM on 03/03/2012

http://documents.latimes.com/usa-v-walter-bagdasarian/





http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/online-call-to-shoot-obama-was-free-speech-not-a-crime-appeals-court-rules.html





The truly greatest gifts about our current President is as always if I can't win in the courts, than I will demand your job and health care for my personal amusements.



I rarely agree with this Court, but I must accept they called this the same way irrespective of color. If Only they could teach our President to demand the same Gracefulness toward all Americans.



I'm always in amusements, if your white its hate speech, but if Black, they were left no choice but to act out with full legal immunity. Welcome to America's New incoherences of intolerance



We ALL know these actions were political speech and I relish a new President and Congress telling all of us what we can say and do while off work, and or online.



Perhaps next they will demand only blacks and Hispanics persons can become police officers, and run for public office.







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Jones-Kelley



Sadly if a Black you can Violate all laws for illegal searches of private Government records and fully publicly disclose them with impunity. If only she had shot at some pictures or tee shirts of Joe the Plumber

[Terri Skau]

12:54 PM on 03/03/2012

Now does this Pat Shearer work under Sheriff Arpaio? If so them claiming it was done in jest is BS because Arpaio is a Republican, and we all know how they feel about The President.

Just sayin' ;-)

[mark1966]

10:40 AM on 03/03/2012

Remember white people shooting at a picture of a black person.Boo hoo hoo.If it was a picture of Bush you people would be cheering and the Police Officer would have gotten promoted.Get over it.

[Kriol Kidd]

12:16 PM on 03/03/2012

Growing up you must have lived on a steady diet of paint chips....

[mark1966]

03:21 PM on 03/16/2012

Oh i hurt your feelings too bad.

[Linda Motley]

12:57 PM on 03/03/2012

mark1966, no, it's time for you people to get over the out-of-control hatred of the president because he's not as white as you. Deifying Bush, who spent 8 years doing everything possible to destroy this country and demonizing Obama, who is doing everything possible to repair the damage, is sick and delusional. I suppose Rush is one of your heroes, isn't he?

[mark1966]

03:20 PM on 03/16/2012

I must have hurt your feelings yet again How do You know Im white,Oh you dont.A matter of fact, I do listen to Rush,They are a great band,You should listen to them,maybe you should listen to them,That way you wont be blind like you are.

[AcesHighSays]

10:01 AM on 03/03/2012

The souths ideology is so vastly different from the norths, wouldn't it be easier to separate them?
The north would build a fence across their boarders, and the south would be the new Mexico.

But seriously folks as per our history, the reality of the matter is that differences will always exist, and we will always clash. The only real and permanent solution is for the north and south to disunite.

[mark1966]

10:38 AM on 03/03/2012

Blame that on Lincoln because the South would be better off than to live under a Socialist President

[Linda Motley]

12:58 PM on 03/03/2012

Still spewing that good, christian hatred, aren't you...

[Ferdinand Berkhof]

04:51 AM on 03/05/2012

Please read up on socialism a bit. Obama is not even close to being a Socialist.

[mommy dearest]

03:28 AM on 03/03/2012

He should at the very least be FIRED!!!

[OpoopDeDo]

11:28 PM on 03/02/2012

Making a mental note..."never pass thru Arizona". More nuts there than California.

[King7David]

01:43 AM on 03/03/2012

It's a free county, we can go anywhere we like. Any issues then sue the individual agency, and officer..

[QueenLibby]

06:36 PM on 03/06/2012

Not really Alta Mexico (California) Has way more fruits and nuts especially in San Fancisco, you see it's a liberal stronghold.

[wolfvampire]

05:07 PM on 03/02/2012

When will people realize that the internet is not your friend? The PC world inwhich we live is leading us to the position were we will all need a lawyer to talk to one another for fear of saying something or doing something that is going to get us in trouble.

I know that white progressives and Jews are itching to bring Hate Speech Laws here.

[conserv888]

04:59 PM on 03/02/2012

Arizona, Oh Arizona! What's going on?

[conserv888]

04:59 PM on 03/02/2012

Morons are never lacking in Arizona.

[mark1966]

10:41 AM on 03/03/2012

Im sure your State is any better.