A New Jersey corrections officer and now-former FedEx worker are facing professional repercussions after both have been linked to a video mocking the violent arrest and murder of George Floyd. The officer, who NJ.com identified as Joseph DeMarco, was suspended, and the FedEx worker, James DeMarco, was fired, according to statements from their employers Tuesday.
The men were allegedly involved in replicating Floyd’s arrest, in which a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes while he pleaded for his life. A banner for President Donald Trump and "All Lives Matter" sign could be seen in the background of now-viral video of the cruel reenactment.
FedEx said in a tweet Tuesday that the company doesn’t “tolerate the kind of appalling and offensive behavior depicted in this video.” “The individual involved is no longer employed by FedEx,” the business said. “We stand with those who support justice and equality.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy condemned the men's behavior in a tweet Tuesday. “Mocking George Floyd’s murder in effort to belittle the calls for justice from our Black and Brown communities is repugnant,” the mayor said. “I condemn this behavior in the strongest terms possible. We won’t let the actions of a few distract from our progress toward dismantling systemic racism.”
The corrections worker was also banned from New Jersey Department of Corrections facilities “pending a thorough and expedited investigation,” the department said in a statement on Twitter.
The New Jersey incident is one of several in which law enforcement officers have been accused of inciting or violently retaliating against protestors fighting police brutality, yet somehow, Mike O'Meara, president of the New York Police Benevolent Association, felt emboldened enough Tuesday to claim the press was to blame for “vilifying” law enforcement officers.
“Stop treating us like animals and thugs and start treating us with some respect,” he said at a press conference. “That’s what we’re here today to say. We’ve been vilified. It’s disgusting.”
I actually find killing a man accused of forging a $20 bill then mocking him for his own death—both acts law enforcement officers are accused of—a bit more disgusting.
CLICK HERE to support organizations that are fighting every day for racial justice.
RELATED: 'Not dead yet': Ruthless ex-wrestling coach mocks George Floyd's death, and he's not the only one
RELATED: 'I am permanently blind in my left eye': Police target reporters covering George Floyd protests
Lawsuit: Minneapolis police ruthlessly attacked journalists at George Floyd protest
RELATED: More than 4,000 people arrested in police rampage during George Floyd protests