NJ corrections officer suspended for mocking George Floyd at Black Lives Matter march

A New Jersey Department of Corrections Officer has been suspended after a video showing him and a group of other men mocking George Floyd during a Black Lives Matter march.

News 12 Staff

Jun 9, 2020, 10:54 PM

Updated 1,423 days ago

Share:

A New Jersey Department of Corrections Officer has been suspended after a video showing him and a group of other men mocking George Floyd during a Black Lives Matter march.
The incident happened Monday at a rally that took place in the Franklinville section of Franklin Township.
According to videos posted on social media, a group of protesters was marching down the street chanting the name “George Floyd,” while carrying anti-police brutality signs. Floyd was a black man who died after an encounter with a white Minneapolis police officer last month.
As the group marched down the street with a police escort, a group of what appears to be four or five men stood off to the side in a counter protest to the movement. The display had President Donald Trump and American flags and a sign that read “All Lives Matter.”
One of the men in the counter protest is seen kneeling on the neck of another member of the group. This is a reference to how Floyd died.

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is facing murder charges after he allegedly knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes. Three other officers are also facing charges related to the death.
The Franklin Township Police Department denounced the display at the Franklinville rally.
Photos: Protests Take Place Across New Jersey
undefined

“The Franklin Township Committee and the Franklin Township Police Department are appalled and saddened by the revolting actions of certain individuals after Monday’s locally organized peaceful march. This is not who we are as a Community,” officials posted on Facebook. “We support the goal of this march, which is to spread awareness and to ensure a better future for all of us. Without an understanding and mutual respect for all individuals, we can never aspire to create a united community based upon the idea of human respect and dignity for all.”
Gov. Phil Murphy also condemning the act, writing on Twitter “Mocking George Floyd’s murder in effort to belittle the calls for justice from our Black and Brown communities is repugnant. 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.”
 
A FedEx employee has also been suspended for also participating in the display mocking Floyd. The names of the counter protesters have not been officially released.


More from News 12
Officials: 1 person killed, 1 injured in house explosion in South River

Officials: 1 person killed, 1 injured in house explosion in South River

1:20
Pro-Palestinian protest that postponed final exams at Rutgers ends peacefully

Pro-Palestinian protest that postponed final exams at Rutgers ends peacefully

2:19
Mostly sunny Friday ahead with cooler temperatures; tracking weekend rain

Mostly sunny Friday ahead with cooler temperatures; tracking weekend rain

2:17
Bound Brook starts Lithium Ion Identification Program to help firefighters identify risks

Bound Brook starts Lithium Ion Identification Program to help firefighters identify risks

0:57
Funeral services held in Newark for Rep. Donald Payne, Jr.

Funeral services held in Newark for Rep. Donald Payne, Jr.

0:22
Prosecutor: 61-year-old man dies in Jersey City high-rise fire

Prosecutor: 61-year-old man dies in Jersey City high-rise fire

0:36
Jersey Proud: Police officers gather for town cleanup in memory of fallen officer

Jersey Proud: Police officers gather for town cleanup in memory of fallen officer

1:26
Look up! Annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early Sunday morning

Look up! Annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early Sunday morning

NJ Transit teams with BetMGM to provide rail serves to MetLife Stadium concerns

NJ Transit teams with BetMGM to provide rail serves to MetLife Stadium concerns

0:46
Car crashes into Hasbrouck Heights apartment building; residents evacuate

Car crashes into Hasbrouck Heights apartment building; residents evacuate

Biden says 'order must prevail' during campus protests over Gaza

Biden says 'order must prevail' during campus protests over Gaza

2:13
Police: Explosion, fire at Old Bridge business kills 73-year-old woman, severely injures 4 others

Police: Explosion, fire at Old Bridge business kills 73-year-old woman, severely injures 4 others

0:47
Learn to make candles at Urban Glo in Union

Learn to make candles at Urban Glo in Union

3:52
I-95 in Norwalk closed until at least Monday following tractor-trailer fire

I-95 in Norwalk closed until at least Monday following tractor-trailer fire

0:35
Prosecutors: NJ couple pleads guilty to starting illegal marijuana service and employing their son

Prosecutors: NJ couple pleads guilty to starting illegal marijuana service and employing their son

0:24
Should former inmates be allowed to serve on juries in New Jersey? Gov. Murphy says yes

Should former inmates be allowed to serve on juries in New Jersey? Gov. Murphy says yes

0:29
Unruly passenger ordered to pay over $20,000 for interfering with flight from London to Newark

Unruly passenger ordered to pay over $20,000 for interfering with flight from London to Newark

0:20
Authorities: 2 women, 1 man stabbed in altercation at Newark McDonald's

Authorities: 2 women, 1 man stabbed in altercation at Newark McDonald's

0:19
FBI offering $5,000 reward for info on Paterson bank robbery suspect

FBI offering $5,000 reward for info on Paterson bank robbery suspect

0:24
Cape May County lifeguards file lawsuit against Avalon to get pension

Cape May County lifeguards file lawsuit against Avalon to get pension