Homophobic police officer caught on tape (VIDEO)
A police officer has found himself in hot water after footage of him using homophobic language and extorting a driver were posted online.
Matthew Zagursky stopped the driver – known simply as ‘Rob’ – after noticing his vehicle was unregistered.
However, instead of following police protocol and giving the driver a ticket, Zagursky – from Philadelphia – offered the driver and passenger a deal.
They could buy two tickets to a fundraiser that pays university tuition for the children of officers and fire fighters killed in the line of duty.
“Either you buy these or I take your car, ’cause it’s unregistered,” the officer says, before enquiring about the driver’s colourful choice of windscreen wipers.
“What’s with the faggot ass wipers?” he asks.
‘Rob’ explains that the wipers are pink because his grandmother recently beat breast cancer.
The officer – who obviously thinks supporting breast cancer is no excuse to be mistaken for a homosexual – takes further issue with this, insisting the driver looks like a “fruitcake.”
Since the incident was made public, Zagursky’s police duties have been reduced, pending further investigation.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey responded to the video, blasting the officer’s fundraising methods.
“No part of that video is good”, Ramsey told Philly.com, “it’s just bad all the way around.”
“He used the tickets as a lever to not do his duty,” Ramsey continued. “That’s extortion. Whether or not it’s criminal is a decision above my pay grade.”
Last month, a police officer in London was dismissed without notice for making homophobic and sexist remarks.
After being found guilty of 14 gross misconduct allegations, 47-year-old Mark Goodenough was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police with immediate effect.