Annunciation House, a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas, is a four-decade old non-profit that has found housing for thousands of migrants in recent months in El Paso, Texas on January 10, 2019. Three Denver police officers were fired for joking about taking ‘target practice’ at migrant shelters in Denver’s capitol city. Photo by Natalie Krebs/UPI |
License PhotoAug. 8 (UPI) — Three Denver police officers have been fired for messages claiming they could use migrant shelters for “target practice,” the police department said Thursday.
“You participated in inappropriate text messaging conversations with other DPD recruits joking that you would go to at least two migrant shelters and shoot them for target practice,” Denver’s Chief of Police Ron Thomas wrote in termination letters to each of the officers, according to The Denver Post. “This behavior is extremely prejudicial to the department and poorly represents the Denver Police Department to the community.”
In March, the officers shared messages in a group chat joking about using the shelters for target practice, according to the police department.
The officers had been through training together and were still in their probationary period, Denver Police said. The probationary period typically lasts nine months, starting when the officers are admitted to the academy.
The department said it learned of the texts on April 4, six days after they sent them and — “due to the abhorrent nature of the messages” — terminated all three officers on July 22, according to a statement from the department.
The department’s 111 page Denver Police Department Discipline Handbook: Conduct Principles and Disciplinary Guidelines lays out its guidelines for investigations and terminations.
Former Denver officers Rodrigo Basurto, Meagan Joy and Scot Persichette were the only police officers in the group who were fired, according to local media. Since the three officers who were fired had not completed their probationary period, they are not eligible to appeal their dismissal.
“Additional Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity training and Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement training will be provided to the other officers on that group chat,” Denver police officials said in the statement. They did not specify how many officers were in the chat or whether there would be additional disciplinary action.
