DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. -- A Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety Officer has been terminated after an internal investigation found that he created and shared a "totally inappropriate post" on the social media platform Snapchat while off-duty, the police department said in a carefully-prepared press release a day after the officer in question, Matthew Moriarty, was fired.
Totally inappropriate doesn't even begin to describe what Moriarity apparently did, according to his employer: Moriarty apparently sent a doctored photograph of himself, with black magic marker scribbling an afro hairstyle and goatee, with a gun and syringe dripping blood while driving. Behind him is a cartoon police car with its lights on and the overlay of the photo says: “This is how I celebrate Black History Month.”
Totally inappropriate doesn't even begin to describe what police officer Matthew Moriarity, shown here, apparently did, according to his employer, the City of Daytona Beach Shores:
Moriarty apparently sent a doctored photograph of himself, with black magic marker scribbling an afro hairstyle and goatee, with a gun and syringe dripping blood while driving.
Behind him is a cartoon police car with its lights on and the overlay of the photo says: “This is how I celebrate Black History Month.”
"The recipients of the picture confirmed it came from Mr. Moriarty and Mr. Moriarty never disputed the fact that he transmitted the photograph and disseminated it to many other persons," said Daytona Beach Shores Lt. Michael Fowler, the agency's spokesman.
Here is a synopsis of how this first came to light, according to Fowler In an email alert with Headline Surfer and other Central Florida daily news outlets: "In early February, Public Safety Department Director Stephan Dembinsky received a complaint from one of approximately 15 people that Moriarty had sent the photograph.
The names of the recipients were not identified by Daytona Beach Shores officials.
Director Dembinsky immediately suspended Moriarty and ordered that the internal investigation be commenced in accordance with State law, Fowler said.
"Professional Internal Affairs investigators learned that Mr. Mr. Moriarty had sent a photograph of himself, depicted with an afro hairstyle and beard, with a cartoon gun and syringe dripping blood while driving his car. Behind Mr. Moriarty was a cartoon police car with its lights on and the overlay of the photograph said, “This is how I celebrate Black History Month.”
The recipients of the picture confirmed it came from Mr. Moriarty and Mr. Moriarty never disputed the fact that he transmitted the photograph and disseminated it to many other persons, Fowler added.
However, The Shores release was quick to point out the following: "The charges of engaging in conduct, which has a tendency to destroy public respect for the employee and/or the department and/or destroy confidence in the operation of the municipal service and engaging in conduct which has a tendency to destroy public respect for the employee and/or the department and/or destroy confidence in the operation of the municipal service were sustained against Mr. Moriarty.
The fired cop hadd been with the agency for 2 1/2 years.
The Shores statement continued, "Mr. Moriarty’s past traffic stops and arrests were examined as part of the investigation and no apparent bias was found."
Director Dembinsky recommended Mr. Moriarty’s termination to the City Manager after reviewing the Internal Affairs investigation and determined that “the action, in this case, are reprehensible. Nobody who holds these types of racist biases can be an unbiased and effective law enforcement officer, and this type of behavior will never be tolerated or defended by this agency. These actions undermined the public trust and only serve to make the job of dedicated officers more difficult."
The city manager, Michael T. Booker, sustained the recommendation of Director Dembinsky and issued a two–page Final Order "terminating Mr. Moriarty on April 11, 2018."
The Public SafetyDepartment is contracting with the US Department of Justice to provide inherent bias training for all its officers, the press release stated. “I will do everything within my power to assure that this type of incident never happens here again,” Dembinsky pledged in the press release.
Headline Surfer emailed an inquiry back to Fowler asking how Deminsky could "assure that this type of incident never happens here again."
There was no response from Fowler or Dembinsky to what comes across as public relations verbiage from the police chief and from the city manager, who added in the prepared press release:
“This additional training will be part of the City's ongoing efforts to ensure that its employees deliver the highest quality of public services to the citizens of the City and the general public.”
The Public SafetyDepartment is contracting with the US Department of Justice to provide inherent bias training for all its officers, the press release stated.
“I will do everything within my power to assure that this type of incident never happens here again,” Daytona Beach Shores Director of Public Safety Stephan Dembinsky, shown far left, pledged in the press release.
Headline Surfer emailed an inquiry back to Shores spokesman Lt. Mike Fowler asking Dembinsky, could in fact,"assure that this type of incident never happens here again."
There was no response from Fowler or Dembinsky to what comes across as public relations verbiage from the police chief and from the city manager, Michael Booker, shown in a staged shot, who added this to close out the prepared press release:
“This additional training will be part of the City's ongoing efforts to ensure that its employees deliver the highest quality of public services to the citizens of the City and the general public.”
