Monessen police officer criticized for Bryant post on Facebook
MONESSEN – A city police officer is facing some backlash after making a Facebook post about late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday.
Screen shots shared on social media show the officer posted on her personal Facebook page asking, “Who was Kobe Bryant?” The officer went on to reference the dismissed sexual assault charges Bryant faced in 2003, and she posted a photo of an explosion.
Responses to the post on social media included accusations that the officer was laughing at Bryant’s death, prompting some to call for her termination from the police force.
The officer’s page no longer shows up in a search on Facebook.
City Solicitor Tim Witt said officials are looking into residents’ concerns.
“We received the complaints and we’re reviewing the specific posts to determine the next appropriate step,” Witt said.
A representative from Teamsters Local 205, the union that represents the city’s police force, said he had not seen the post, but did receive a phone call about it.
“From what I was told, it wasn’t supposed to be insensitive to Kobe Bryant and his family,” said Carl Bailey, the union’s secretary, treasurer and principal officer.
Bailey said he hasn’t been contacted about the post by anyone in an administrative position in Monessen.
A Change.org petition posted late Monday asked city officials to fire the woman, but had fewer than 20 signatures by Tuesday afternoon.
Jim Smith, Monessen police chief, and council member Tony Orzechowski declined comment. Mayor Matt Shorraw did not return a call for comment.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people who died in a helicopter crash in California. He played his entire 20-year professional basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships.