A Cop Who Said "Let's Start A Riot" In An Instagram Post Has Been Fired

[left-of-center2012]

A Denver police officer who posted a picture of himself and two colleagues in full riot gear with the caption "Let's start a riot" has been fired, officials said. Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen ordered an internal investigation Monday after reports of the Instagram post by Officer Thomas McClay surfaced.

On Tuesday, police announced McClay had been terminated from his position after the Internal Affairs unit determined he had violated the department's social media policy.

A spokesperson for the department did not respond to BuzzFeed News inquiries on whether there were any other disciplinary investigations taking place regarding the other two officers in the photo, who have not been publicly named.

McClay was a new member of the Denver Police Department. According to a Facebook post from the department welcoming its new recruits, McClay joined its ranks after graduating from the academy in October.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/denver-police-riot-instagram-fired

?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto

[backscatter712]

1. ACAB

[Laelth]

2. Good. k&r n/t

-Laelth

[Cha]

3. All that training at the Police Academy down the tubes

because of Stupid self sabotage.

[dmr]

7. Shamefully self sabotage and the department's poor vetting.

Thankfully he's out before he could do harm.

He's also an example to other officers on how not to behave on or off duty.

[Cha]

9. Yes, excellent points about being an example for how not to act.. and

getting Fired before he could do harm.. because with an attitude like that.. he just sounds like a trouble maker.

[Srkdqltr]

4. This lovely fellow and his buddies are too ignorant to be police.

If they don't know enough to keep this stuff off the internet they are not smart.

[KG]

5. I see LE is going to take this oppotunity to raise their image nationwide

[Sherman A1]

6. Good

You have to question the judgement of someone who would post such an image and suggestion. The person needs to find another line of work completely.

[sfstaxprep]

15. He'll Move One Town Over

And they'll probably LIE about the reasons they were let go.

[Sherman A1]

18. Perhaps

Perhaps not, but the image is out there and hard to avoid.

[Sanity Claws]

8. If McClay is the one in the middle, then he is not that young

He looks older at least in his 30s and should have learned some discretion by now.

[greenjar_01]

13. He's the one on the left

You can tell by his hair.

[duforsure]

10. More people need to be video taping all interactions while protesting

To film looters, arsonists, corrupt cops, and to protect businesses and themselves.it will be a powerful weapon , and why some cops hate it, and to use and show all those people committing crimes, and inciting this now.maybe rewards from businesses and communities for their help.

[greenjar_01]

11. He'll be hired down the road next week

We have a terrible system for hiring police officers.

[uponit7771]

12. +1, there should be a check list

[greenjar_01]

14. Police chiefs and their subordinates do the hiring

If you get fired for job related misconduct as a teacher it's difficult to get another teaching job because the principals and assistant principals at the next school won't hire you. There's certainly a need for a national (or at least state-level) database on police misconduct cases, but the truth is that the leadership at the next department down the road simply ignore the offenses anyway. Most of them know why the applicant was fired and simply do not care.

It's not an information problem, but a cultural problem.

[demtenjeep]

16. which one is he? AND there were 3 participating

so.....why not all three

[cwydro]

17. They wanna get all geared up like tough guys, let'em join the military.

Idiots.

[Sneederbunk]

19. Apparently common sense is a rare commodity in law enforcement.

[tishaLA]

20. now do the other two