After sharing a meme on Facebook that some called out as racist, a Fort Worth police officer has been fired, the Fort Worth Police Department confirmed Thursday, Oct. 1.
Following an internal investigation, the department said Officer Roger Ballard, an 18-year veteran on the force, received an indefinite suspension for disobeying departmental general orders linked to social media use, which is equal to termination.
Last week, the department originally issued a statement confirming that they knew of a “racially insensitive and grossly inappropriate Facebook post, which surfaced on an officer’s personal profile.” Community activists had spoken out about the meme.
The activist group United My Justice held a press conference last Friday outside Fort Worth City Hall to send a message to city leaders. Cecil Collier, group vice-president with United My Justice, described the meme as a Black man lying in a casket with the caption “this is what happens when you resist the police.”
Collier added, “And under that, the caption reads…’this is what happens when you resist the police or resist arrest’ or whatever. To go along with that caption, why couldn’t there have been a different color person in that casket? Who are you sending your message to? Everybody has some type of bias. Everybody has some type of prejudice, but this is straight-up racism.”
United My Justice group founder Donnell Ballard made the intention of the gathering clear, and that was to get Ballard off the force.
“What we’re saying is, either you get him off the force or it’s going to be hell to pay,” Ballard said. We’re not saying this in a threatening way. We’re saying today is, we’re not going to continue to allow this police officer to sit on the force and continue to say what he says.”
Longtime community activist Rev. Michael Bell with the Greater St. Stephen Baptist Church, held his own press conference outside of the police headquarters where other community activists joined them. They insisted that other Fort Worth police officers who responded positively to the post needed to also be investigated.
“I’m talking about Mayor Betsy Price, I’m talking about David Cooke, and the city council, all of them, if they do not adequately and appropriately address this, then we have no choice in our response. None,” said Rev. Bell.
Internal Affairs is currently investigating a second officer and that officer’s level of involvement.
In a statement released Thursday, the department said, “The Fort Worth Police Department holds every officer to a very high standard and any comment, post, or any communication which is racially insensitive and unprofessional will not be condoned in any manner. Our department will continue to hold accountable those who do not meet that standard.”
Of the department’s handling of the matter, community activist Patrice Jones, said, “It makes me believe that Fort Worth is willing to work with the community to pick out the rotten apples that we all say exist on police force. So I’m happy they’re willing to get rid of one of theirs.”
“Chief Kraus and his staff got it right. What the officer did was egregious, especially given the context of everything that has been going on in Fort Worth and I need not even mention the Atatiana Jefferson shooting,” said Bell.
“I am happy that he’s fired, but I still say we’ve got more work to do in the community,” said Ballard.
“I believe it’s a step in the right direction,” said Jones.
Even so, while the activists are approving of the department’s decision, she is suspicious of the language used in Ballard’s paperwork, which she fears may leave room for a reinstatement.
“That’s my concern, when all of this is done, will this termination be upheld?” questioned Bell.
According to Fort Worth Police, civil service law says Ballard may file a written appeal to the civil service commission within 10 days to petition for an appeal of their dismissal.
