What’s in a hashtag? A lot if you’re an NYPD cop and the hashtag is #blacklivesmatter.
The commanding officer of a Queens precinct is facing some backlash after the hashtag referring to the black rights protest group appeared on her Twitter account, police sources said Saturday.
The tweet, which appeared on the official Twitter feed of the 100th Precinct Friday, highlighted the contribution of color barrier-smashing black boxer Jack Johnson for Black History Month. The page’s user profile is in the name of Deputy Inspector Janice Holmes, and a picture of her is precinct’s profile photo.
“Jack Johnson became the first African American man to hold the World Heavyweight Champion boxing title in 1908. #Blacklivesmatter” the tweet read with a photo of the famed boxer.
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The post quickly drew criticism.
“How can a precinct commander lead people when she aligns herself with a group that is known to hate law enforcement and wants police officers dead?” Daniel McCaughan wrote about Holmes, who is black.
Mike Collins agreed.
“I'm a retired NYPD PO & embarrassed that a Commanding Officer would tweet with #Blacklivesmatter,” Collins wrote. “This month is suppose to celebrate great accomplishments by black Americans, not celebrate a Hate group that wants to Kill Cops for doing their jobs.”
“Maybe u were Promoted to (sic) early?” Collins asked.
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Holmes told her superiors she was not the one who posted the tweet and ordered it changed, police sources said.
“Things can change so fast, twitter posts, commanding officers...” wrote one Twitter user who only identified himself as James.
But some defended the original post.
“It was nothing wrong with the previous post,” Cerone Anderson commented. “This is black history month and the reason why we have this month set aside for us is because for so long in this country black lives have not mattered. #blacklivematter.”
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The Rev. Al Sharpton also defended the original tweet.
“Why is she apologizing for putting up a slogan about the fight we are all involved in?" Sharpton asked Saturday. "Our slogan used to be 'We shall overcome,' now it's ‘Black Lives Matter.’”
“You forget the fights of yesterday if you're trying to avoid the slogans of today," he added.
The NYPD has strict policies about who can post to a precinct's official page and guidelines around what kinds of tweets are appropriate.
But officials said it’s unlikely that Holmes — or whoever put up the tweet — would be facing any departmental charges.
The tweet in question was meant to honor African-American boxing legend Jack Johnson. (AP)
“There is no indication that any discipline will be given out,” said an NYPD spokesman, who confirmed that another officer put up the tweet on Holmes behalf.
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Holmes is one of four sisters serving the NYPD. Her older sister, Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, is the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Queens North and was the first black woman in the NYPD to become a borough command.
The Black Lives Matter movement picked up steam following the death of Eric Garner, who died after he was placed in a banned chokehold by a cop arresting him for selling untaxed cigarettes in Staten Island.
The group has since become one of the loudest voices opposing police brutality against people of color.
Critics claim some members of the loosely knit network of protestors encourage violence against police officers, an allegation that sparked the counter-movement “Blue Lives Matter.”
NYPD Officer Gwendolyn Bishop, who is black, was hit with departmental charges for after she replied to a Feb. 17, 2016, tweet from the 76th precinct where she works about a gun arrest by an NYPD Special Ops team.
"Sad day for the 76th Pct. #Blacklivesmatter," she wrote.
Bishop posted the remarks under her personal Twitter handle @ducklipzanddimplzz. She told her superiors she didn't remember replying to the post and rarely uses Twitter.
When pressed at her departmental trial, she said she meant to write #Bluelivesmatter — and blamed her phone's autocorrect for what appeared online.
The NYPD did not reveal the outcome of the case, citing state privacy laws covering uniformed officers.
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The commanding officer of a Queens precinct is facing some backlash after the hashtag referring to the black rights protest group appeared on her Twitter account, police sources said Saturday.
The tweet, which appeared on the official Twitter feed of the 100th Precinct Friday, highlighted the contribution of color barrier-smashing black boxer Jack Johnson for Black History Month. The page’s user profile is in the name of Deputy Inspector Janice Holmes, and a picture of her is precinct’s profile photo.
“Jack Johnson became the first African American man to hold the World Heavyweight Champion boxing title in 1908. #Blacklivesmatter” the tweet read with a photo of the famed boxer.
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The post quickly drew criticism.
“How can a precinct commander lead people when she aligns herself with a group that is known to hate law enforcement and wants police officers dead?” Daniel McCaughan wrote about Holmes, who is black.
Mike Collins agreed.
“I'm a retired NYPD PO & embarrassed that a Commanding Officer would tweet with #Blacklivesmatter,” Collins wrote. “This month is suppose to celebrate great accomplishments by black Americans, not celebrate a Hate group that wants to Kill Cops for doing their jobs.”
“Maybe u were Promoted to (sic) early?” Collins asked.
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Holmes told her superiors she was not the one who posted the tweet and ordered it changed, police sources said.
“Things can change so fast, twitter posts, commanding officers...” wrote one Twitter user who only identified himself as James.
But some defended the original post.
“It was nothing wrong with the previous post,” Cerone Anderson commented. “This is black history month and the reason why we have this month set aside for us is because for so long in this country black lives have not mattered. #blacklivematter.”
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The Rev. Al Sharpton also defended the original tweet.
“Why is she apologizing for putting up a slogan about the fight we are all involved in?" Sharpton asked Saturday. "Our slogan used to be 'We shall overcome,' now it's ‘Black Lives Matter.’”
“You forget the fights of yesterday if you're trying to avoid the slogans of today," he added.
The NYPD has strict policies about who can post to a precinct's official page and guidelines around what kinds of tweets are appropriate.
But officials said it’s unlikely that Holmes — or whoever put up the tweet — would be facing any departmental charges.
The tweet in question was meant to honor African-American boxing legend Jack Johnson. (AP)
“There is no indication that any discipline will be given out,” said an NYPD spokesman, who confirmed that another officer put up the tweet on Holmes behalf.
Queens kid barred from wearing ‘Malcolm X’ school sweatshirt meets the civil rights icon’s daughter
Holmes is one of four sisters serving the NYPD. Her older sister, Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, is the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Queens North and was the first black woman in the NYPD to become a borough command.
The Black Lives Matter movement picked up steam following the death of Eric Garner, who died after he was placed in a banned chokehold by a cop arresting him for selling untaxed cigarettes in Staten Island.
The group has since become one of the loudest voices opposing police brutality against people of color.
Critics claim some members of the loosely knit network of protestors encourage violence against police officers, an allegation that sparked the counter-movement “Blue Lives Matter.”
NYPD Officer Gwendolyn Bishop, who is black, was hit with departmental charges for after she replied to a Feb. 17, 2016, tweet from the 76th precinct where she works about a gun arrest by an NYPD Special Ops team.
"Sad day for the 76th Pct. #Blacklivesmatter," she wrote.
Bishop posted the remarks under her personal Twitter handle @ducklipzanddimplzz. She told her superiors she didn't remember replying to the post and rarely uses Twitter.
When pressed at her departmental trial, she said she meant to write #Bluelivesmatter — and blamed her phone's autocorrect for what appeared online.
The NYPD did not reveal the outcome of the case, citing state privacy laws covering uniformed officers.
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