Cop Humor? Killeen Police Lieutenant Shares Racist Meme on Social Media

An ex-Killeen police officer has spoken up after seeing a questionable post on social media from a current Killeen police lieutenant.

According to a report from the Killeen Daily Herald, the Killeen Police Department's internal affairs unit is investigating a social media post shared by a current officer depicting a black man being killed by a white police officer.

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To go into further details, the meme pictured a white police officer with a smoking gun standing over a bleeding black man with the words, "I’m gonna write you a ticket son…DAMN…that ain’t my pen.”

“This type of behavior is unprofessional, unacceptable, and does not represent the values of the sworn officers, civilian employees, volunteers and Police Explorers that make up the Killeen Police Department,” said Chief Charles Kimble. “We work hard to strengthen the relationship between the police department and the community, and I hope this isolated incident doesn’t hamper those efforts.”

Lane Copelin, a former officer with the Killeen Police Department spoke with the Killeen Daily Herald to express his shock and disappointment. “It’s the exact opposite of ‘cop humor," stated Copelin. “That’s an offensive picture and it was heartbreaking to see that it was posted by a lieutenant in a law enforcement agency.”

Copelin decided to speak with the Killeen Daily Herald because he wanted to bring light to the situation and he felt the incident wasn't taken seriously by the department.

“He has had a letter of reprimand, which is a slap on the wrist,” Copelin told KDHD.  “We have freedom of speech, but there’s a time and a place for everything.”

I am beyond grateful to hear that Copelin sought change and justice in this situation. We need more officers and law enforcement officials to stand up and say something when they see inappropriate actions taking place. There is no longer room to "cover" or protect those who seek to diminish the plight of others.

Some officers are out there trying to build trust within their community, and their efforts are completely undermined when something like this happens.

How can others feel safe when cops are so nonchalantly talking about murdering civilians and people of color?