New Orleans cop: Trayvon lived like a thug and he died like one

A New Orleans police officer who was placed on desk duty following a shooting has been suspended for posting a comment on a local television station’s website about the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Officer Jason Giroir identified himself as a New Orleans Police Department employee when he wrote, “Act like a thug die like one!” in response to a WWL-TV article about a rally supporting Martin.

Martin was fatally shot last month by volunteer neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman.

From NewsOne.com:

New Orleans police officer, Jason Giroir, 35, has been suspended indefinitely without pay for making disparaging remarks about 17-year-old Trayvon Martin online, reports NOLA.com.

In response to a comment posted Sunday on WWL-TV.com on a story about Trayvon, who was unarmed when he was gunned down by George Zimmerman, 28, Giroir said that the 17-year-old deserved to die:

“Act like a Thug Die like one!” he wrote.

Giroir’s wife echoed her husband’s sentiments on the same article:

“He acted like a thug and died like one,” she wrote.

When a commenter said that Giroir’s comments were racist, the veteran did not back down:

“… come on down to our town with a ‘Hoodie’ and you can join Martin in HELL and talk about your racist stories!”

Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said that he is outraged by Giroir’s comments and that they do not reflect the views of the New Orleans Police Department.

“To say I’m angry is an understatement. I’m furious,” Serpas said.

Giroir was placed on desk duty during a recent investigation after he killed a Black man during a routine traffic stop. Justin Sipp was in the car with his brother, Earl Sipp, when Giroir and two back-up officers claim that Justin opened fire and was subsequently killed. Once the investigation was complete, Giroir was returned to his post in the 8th district.

According to NOLA.com, Giroir’s Myspace page at the time of the shooting raised some concerns about his professionalism:

“Hello, my name is Jason C. Giroir. I have been a New Orleans police officer for almost 10 years. I enjoy my job because I like to make a positive impact in life. Sometimes that means not doing everything by the book. Everyone who knows me understands what I mean.”