NYS Prison Guard Suspended For Mocking Mass Shooting Victims

Just days after a domestic terror attack claimed the lives of 10 people in Buffalo, New York, a Law Enforcement Officer of New York State is accused of sharing an extremely disgusting and distasteful image that mocks those who are victims of the Buffalo Mass Shooting.

According to a report by WKBW-TV, New York State Corrections Officer Gregory Foster II shared an image on his Facebook page that showed something so disgusting that it literally turned my stomach. We will not share the image, but the image was accompanied by text that said: "Too soon? This should weed out some FB friends". That caption was also followed by some laughing emojis.

Mr. Foster, who has been with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Services for at least 25-years, has been suspended and will not receive pay during his suspension. According to the NYS DOCCS Employee Manual, is required to recognize the value of each person, protect human dignity, and to operate with ethical behavior.

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In a statement posted on Twitter, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the state department that manages prisons and prison officers, advised that they were aware of the multiple complaints they have received about the images that were alleged to be posted by the officer.

NYSDOCCS also reports that the social media posts, if in fact true, represent a violation of multiple parts of their code of conduct and will not be tolerated by New York State.

This vile posting does not represent the morals and values of the thousands of staff members in the Department. The individual responsible has been suspended without pay and DOCCS will be seeking termination.
-The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision

In addition to the officer being suspended without pay, the New York State Department of Civil Rights is investigating the co-workers of this corrections officer for liking and sharing the despicable image.

When I first saw the image, I was honestly taken aback by how terrible it was. At the time, I didn't realize the person posting was someone charged to keep us safe. It's so much worse knowing that my hard-earned tax dollars have gone to a person who thinks so little of his neighbors.

This, seem to me, to be an example of what President Biden meant during his speech in Buffalo when he said:

It’s a poison. It really is. Running through our body politic. And it’s been allowed to fester and grow right in front of our eyes. No more. I mean, no more.
-President Joseph R. Biden, during his speech in Buffalo