Racist post on Facebook page of 2 Fort Worth police officers draws ire
A racially insensitive meme shared from the account of two Fort Worth police officers on social media drew ire after screenshots were posted in the Facebook group Enough is Enough, Fort Worth.
According to the screenshots, the meme shared on the joint Facebook account was a photo of a Black man in a casket. The words on the photo say, “The face you make when you don’t understand ‘Stop resisting.’”
The meme was shared from a personal Facebook account under the name “Roger-Katie Ballard,” according to screenshots. The account has since been deactivated.
According to Fort Worth police records as of December 2019, Roger Ballard was employed as a Fort Worth police officer and Anne Catherine Ballard as a corporal at the police department.
Roger and Anne Catherine Ballard did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment. They could not be reached Thursday night at office phone numbers listed for them in police records.
Trice Jones, a member of the Black Lives Matter protest group Enough is Enough, was among many people who shared screenshots of the post and the Ballards’ profile on Facebook.
“She’s a corporal for FWPD (what a great person to hold a position of power) and he’s paid over $42 a hour to support the killing of unarmed Black men,” she wrote. “Recognize your local racist law enforcement officers.”
The police department sent a press release on Thursday saying it started an internal investigation after “the Fort Worth Police Department was made aware of a racially insensitive and grossly inappropriate Facebook post which surfaced on an officer’s personal profile. The Internal Affairs Unit quickly began an investigation into the matter, which is on-going, and the post was removed.”
When asked if Roger and Anne Catherine Ballard were the source of the investigation, FWPD spokesman Officer Daniel Segura said investigators “are looking into all those specific details.”
Segura said he could not confirm that the post on the “Roger-Katie Ballard” Facebook account was the source of the investigation. The press release was sent out the same day that the Ballards’ profile and post were shared in the Facebook group Enough is Enough, Fort Worth.
“The Fort Worth Police Department holds every officer to a very high standard and any comment, post, or any communication which is racially insensitive and unprofessional will not be condoned in any manner,” the department said in the press release. “Our department will continue to hold accountable those who do not meet that standard.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 9:35 PM.
