Two Rhode Island State Police troopers who displayed poor judgment and a “lack of empathy” for the family of a man who was struck and killed on Interstate 95 last year have been fired, Colonel Darnell S. Weaver said Thursday morning.
The troopers, both new hires, have lost their jobs in the aftermath of reporting that focused on a video shared on social media in recent days.
Rhode Island State Police Lt. Col. Darnell Weaver, who on Friday will be promoted to colonel. Jim Vincent, president of the NAACP in Rhode Island, says, “I believe he will bring communities together.”
NBC 10 first reported that the video shared on Snapchat by the two troopers in question shows traffic camera footage of Alex Montesino as he was struck by a car on I-95 in October and it includes audible laughter and the caption, “So f—–.”
The troopers violated rules, regulations, and policies regarding a pedestrian fatality, Weaver said.
“We are deeply disappointed that these recently hired Troopers displayed such poor judgment and lacked empathy for this family’s tragedy,” said Weaver who is Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety.
“These individuals are no longer employed by the state police,” he said, “and we will not comment further as they are not employed by the Division.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI State Police fire two troopers citing snapchat video
