New Orleans Police Officer Suspended For Saying Trayvon Martin Was A 'Thug' And Deserved To 'Die Like One'

The New Orleans police department has suspended an officer who is currently under investigation for a fatal police-involved shooting after he posted on a news site that Trayvon Martin "acted like a thug" and deserved to "die like one."

The comment appeared on Sunday night beneath a news article about a rally for Martin.

Griroir's wife posted a similar comment on the site.

When another commenter called Griroir's posting racist, Giroir replied, "Eddie come on down to our town with a 'Hoodie' and you can join Martin in HELL and talk about your racist stories!:-P," according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Ronal Serpas, the police superintendent, announced the suspension at a news conference this afternoon. "To say that I'm angry is an understatement," Serpas said. "I'm furious," said Serpas, who said the posts "embarrassed this department."

Martin, 17, was shot and killed in late February by a neighborhood watch member who reported to police that the teenager looked suspicious. His shooter has not been arrested or charged, which has prompted rallies and protests around the country calling for an investigation and prosecution.

In early March, Giroir, the New Orleans officer, pulled over a driver for breaking traffic rules, according to a local television station. The routine stop escalated into a gunfight after other offiicers arrived. One suspect was killed in the shooting, and three people, including two police officers, were wounded. Giroir did not fire his weapon in the incident, but after the shooting, a bullet was found lodged in the Taser he was carrying.

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Comments

[at hellion]

10:09 AM on 03/29/2012

Apparently some people don't understand that he was wearing his hoodie up because it was RAINING. Let me break it down. A hoodie is like a hat, but its conveniently attached to your sweatshirt.

[sign of the times]

03:54 PM on 03/29/2012

IT DOESN'T MATTER PEOPLE.........PLZ GOOGLE GARY PLAUCHE.............

[JamNew44]

09:56 AM on 03/29/2012

New Orleans reputation for having the stupidest police in the US continues! After Katrina and the executions that New Orleans police committed, do we expect anything else from them?

[henrypapillon]

10:28 AM on 03/29/2012

Moderators. Please ban this person!

[Joe Dersi]

11:32 AM on 03/29/2012

Stop your crying. I have every right to voice my oppinion

Go away

[politicalgirl1234]

10:58 AM on 03/29/2012

I am a Semi Preppy white 5'4 girl. And I wear hoodies all the time. Am I a " Thug"?

[adrntyl]

07:13 AM on 03/29/2012

FIRED NOT SUSPENDED SHOULD BE THE CIRCUMSTANCE

[mipenniesworth]

02:38 AM on 03/29/2012

small town power really is out of hand here. seems like he likes to shoot off his mouth among other things.

[INDIVIDUALTERRY]

11:09 AM on 03/29/2012

New Orleans....small town?

[Sam K Field]

02:17 AM on 03/29/2012

if only it was possible to fire cops

[Cedric Nonya]

11:21 PM on 03/28/2012

This guy belongs in prison,not on anyone's police force.

[saraxbelle629]

10:34 PM on 03/28/2012

The United States: for each step forward, we'll take two steps back.

[nickjjack15]

09:57 PM on 03/28/2012

Sadly isn't this protected under the first ammendmant

[suppjamieee]

02:08 AM on 03/29/2012

Yes, until you sign a contract with an employer to not bring shame on that establishment by your actions. And this, my friend, is beyond shameful for a Police Officer to express on a public forum.

[Sam K Field]

02:17 AM on 03/29/2012

no as a sworn officer he represents the force at all times.

[fauxnews lol]

04:49 PM on 03/28/2012

we saw the cops on tv shooting unarmed people during katrina........nobody got prosecuted

[henry1964]

11:19 PM on 03/28/2012

Forgive if I am wrong but I think they did..... Recently if I am not mistaken..:....

[fauxnews lol]

10:17 AM on 03/29/2012

they always do.............

[wcharlesedas]

04:21 PM on 03/28/2012

GIROIR is in a POSITION where his behaviour and opinions should be checked by the public since he "serves" it,when his behaviour in public is exactly the same as his opinions(which he has a right to)but what do we do as the public when people in "authority" like GIROIR,MURDER AND MAIM PEOPLE and get away with it? WE ACCEPT IT like SHEEP! because AMERICANS are BRED TO ACCEPT "AUTHORITY" in every form,even when it's destructive,because those destructive forces rely on the ignorance,and complacency of the PUBLIC to thrive,and control.this system feeds of the naivete and division of BLACK and WHITE.many of you think"because it hasn't happen to ME,everyone else must be lying" WAKE THE UP! WE ARE NOTHING TO THESE PEOPLE! the above statement GIROIR made on facebook is his RIGHT.but when what he says is in align with what he DOES and he's under investigation for shooting and beating UNARMED people,it's not far fetched that he's a self righteous,narcissistic,murderous,power hungry yet WEAK man who abuses the public(because he thinks he can)then talks about it on facebook like it's some GAME!

[giftsthatpurr]

05:17 PM on 03/28/2012

ff

[wcharlesedas]

06:08 PM on 03/28/2012

i wanted to say "WAKE THE @#$% UP!" but the @#^& word was edited out.but who cares?

[geruoc]

03:34 PM on 03/28/2012

i thought this was america freedom of speech the black panthers say black power and put a bounty on a man and they walk free this cop should sue any lawyers want to make a name for themselves

[giftsthatpurr]

05:17 PM on 03/28/2012

What?

[wcharlesedas]

06:43 PM on 03/28/2012

The news you are not getting from huffington post,is this cop has killed an unarmed man here in New Orleans,and he is still walking free,this cop beat a woman severely in front of her house and her mother,yet he's still free. i would never attack anyone's ability to express themselves or their rights,because if i do that,i'll be attacking the very rights that protect me.Jason Giroir is a COP who has done some very dirty things to good people,and got off easy,whereas if anyone else does the slightest thing,they'll get thrown into jail without question.many people have had their RIGHTS completely violated by the "justice" system and the cops who serve their interest.so this has less to do with freedom of speech.and more to do with personal accountability not being taken by him,he can say what he want,i know i do.but i'm not out beating old ladies,and making threats to people's families who dare stand up to me,and then bragging about it on facebook,people lives have been ruined by COPS like him here in NEW ORLEANS,and around the nation.

[wcharlesedas]

03:00 PM on 03/28/2012

I am the first to stand up for all to express themselves freely,without expecting them to be "politically correct" about everything they say.but in this case JASON GIROIR gets no respect from me.I'm from New Orleans,an i know for a FACT this man BEAT the SHIT out of a WOMAN down to a BLOODY PULP in front of her HOUSE,and then he shoved her distraught mother into a DITCH.I have no need to make this up.how stupid,and gullible can you people be to believe that COPS CAN'T BE CORRUPTED?! as if wearing a POLICE UNIFORM nullifies their HUMANITY,anything heinous anyone else can do without a cop uniform,anyone wearing a COP UNIFORM can do.they don't all play by the book,and respect their oath.they're CROOKS like anyone else who can do crooked things,except COPS get to sit on their FAT ASSES,EATING DOUGHNUTS,WHILE FILING PAPER WORK ON DESK DUTY.

[Barry Tesch]

03:44 PM on 03/28/2012

And Jason Giroir's Facebook page, which was verified by the New Orleans Police Superintendent before accepting Giroir's resignation, did state he "sometimes bends the rules"! I think it's great that we have this new medium, the Internet and network sites like FB that have the power for people to be revealed for who they truly are as well for having the power to bring us together locally, regionally, nationally, internationally, and even globally. In this instance, it identified an obviously ill placed person in the police force and got rid of him by forcing him to resign. I mean, my God, what kind of idiot would even post such a comment? Even most people who would even identify themselves as racist wouldn't go so far as to so publicly broadcast that fact! That's the kind of poor decision making WE DON'T NEED in our forces that are sworn "to protect and to serve".

[micheldphotography]

02:49 PM on 03/28/2012

so now i wonder will people start to look at the millions of white kids that wear hoodies to represent their school at games or on campus, will be looked at as thugs? Just a question.

[bnardojrii]

02:24 PM on 03/28/2012

This couple is obviously not well mentally. They need help.