BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant has resigned following his suspension for posting controversial Facebook posts that seemed to call for officers entangled in a controversy related to George Floyd’s death to work for the county.
What You Need To Know
- There has been an investigation into Lt. Bert Gamin
- RELATED: Brevard Police Union President Suspended After "Insensitive" Facebook Post
The post, which was on the Brevard Fraternal Order of Police Facebook page, said, in part: "Hey Buffalo 57... and Atlanta 6... we are hiring in Florida. Lower taxes, no spineless leadership, or dumb mayors rambling on at press conferences. Plus... we got your back! #lawandorderFlorida"
The posts by Lt. Bert Gamin, who was the president of the FOP, refers to the 57 Buffalo, New York officers who resigned from that department's emergency response team after an elderly man was pushed over and seriously hurt in a protest, plus six Atlanta officers who are facing charges over a violent arrest during a protest there.
The controversial Facebook posts led to an internal investigation from the Brevard County Sheriff Office, which started earlier this week after Gamin was suspended. Sherriff Wayne Ivey said that after he told Gamin that he was going to terminate his employment, the lieutenant decided to resign.
Ivey said on Friday morning there was enough evidence to make his decision and that the investigation determined that Gamin had corrective action regarding statements and comments he has made in the past regarding union and political views.
The sheriff reiterated his stance and calling those posts disgusting and embarrassing not only to his agency but other police agencies. According to Ivey, their investigation in Gamin dates back more than a decade and what they found was troubling.
“The documentation on his personal file that was most concerning, was from an incident involving an alleged racial overtones that occurred almost eight years before I became sheriff that happened 15 years ago. The statements were directed to one of his subordinates at the time and they were disrespectful and unprofessional to say the least,” said Ivey.
The investigation is still ongoing to determine if the posts were made while on duty and if he used any of the department’s resources.
