Mich.
top cop
loses
pay for
Facebook
post on
NFL
protests
By
Ed White
apnews.com
1 min.
read
DETROIT
- The
director
of the
Michigan
State
Police
will
lose
five
days of
pay for
sharing
a
Facebook
post
that
called
NFL
players
who
kneel
during
the
national
anthem
"anti-American
degenerates,"
Gov.
Rick
Snyder
said
Thursday.
The
penalty
was
disclosed
in the
second
of two
statements
released
by
Snyder,
who also
announced
a
strategy
to
"review
the
culture
of state
government."
Col.
Kriste
Kibbey
Etue has
been
under
fire
since
Sept. 24
when she
shared a
meme on
her
personal
Facebook
page
that
called
NFL
players
who
kneel
during
the
national
anthem
"millionaire
ingrates
who hate
America
and
disrespect"
soldiers
and
veterans.
She
has
apologized,
especially
to black
lawmakers,
but
hasn't
publicly
explained
why she
shared
it.
Snyder
already
had said
he
wasn't
going to
fire
Etue,
who is
white.
She
makes
$165,000
a year
so
she'll
lose
just
under 2
percent
of her
pay.
Etue
still
must
work
during
the five
days.
"Colonel
Etue
posted
something
on
social
media
that was
inappropriate.
... The
colonel
has
served
honorably
as an
enlisted
trooper
for 30
years,
and I
hope we
can come
together
as
Michiganders
to move
forward
and find
common
ground,
rather
than
rehash
past
mistakes,"
the
Republican
governor
said.
The
Facebook
post
came at
a
sensitive
time for
state
police.
The
department
said it
would
stop
high-speed
pursuits
in
Detroit,
except
in cases
of
serious
crime,
after a
white
trooper
who was
inside
his
patrol
car shot
a black
teenager
with a
Taser.
The boy
crashed
an
all-terrain
vehicle
and
died.
The
trooper
has
resigned
and is
the
subject
of a
criminal
investigation.
In
his
statement
Thursday,
Snyder
said
he's
ordered
a review
of
trooper
recruit
practices
and the
standards
for
admission.
He also
said his
administration
will
develop
"cultural
awareness
and
sensitivity
training
guidelines"
within
all
state
government.
The
governor
said a
group
will
recommend
policies
on the
private
use of
social
media by
state
employees.
"We
are the
best
Michigan
when we
are a
diverse
Michigan,
and I
will
continue
taking
actions
to
ensure
all
state
departments
are
working
to
effectively
serve
all
residents
in an
impartial
and
inclusive
manner,"
Snyder
said.
Democratic
Sen.
Vincent
Gregory,
who met
with
Etue and
had
wanted
her to
resign,
told the
Detroit
Free
Press
that
Snyder
was
taking
the
right
steps by
addressing
cultural
issues
in
government.