FSU’s Jimbo Fisher Dealing With Player’s Threatening Tweet Toward Police

Tallahassee.com

http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20120801/FSU03/120801005/Police-official-demands-inquiry-into-FSU-player-s-tweets?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|frontpage|s

FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher called James Preston this morning and told the president of the state’s Fraternal Order of Police that the player who tweeted about killing police officers will face additional punishment.

Tyler Hunter, a sophomore from Valdosta, Ga., will probably spend time with FSU Police Chief David Perry and his officers to get a better sense of what police work entails.

“I’m very pleased that the coach took the time to call,” Preston said. “I think the player will end up making an apology after getting a better understanding of just what police officers are faced with every day. We had a Miami Dade police officer killed last night.”

Original update

Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher is not the only person bothered by one of his player’s posts about killing police officers on Twitter.

The president of Florida’s Fraternal Order of Police, James W. Preston, has sent a letter to FSU President Eric Barron and athletic director Randy Spetman demanding that the university investigate and discipline the football player who made a post on the social networking site about killing police officers.

The player, sophomore defensive back Tyler Hunter of Valdosta, Ga., posted several times during an online rant after he was pulled over and issued a ticket in Tallahassee. In one of the tweets, he quoted a rap lyric: “We need to do like Cali n***** and kill cops.”

Shortly after Hunter’s tweets became public, Fisher told his team to stop using Twitter until further notice. Then at ACC Kickoff in late July, Fisher said he was leaning toward banning players from the site until January so that they could focus on the football season.

In his July 31 letter, Preston took exception to that statement, saying it, “falls far too short for the seriousness of the incident. Inaction by the Athletic Department, by default, condones such outrageous behavior.”

“Mr. Hunter has made explicit public threats against police officers on his ’twitter’ social media account advocating the public assassination of police officers,” Preston wrote. “For Tyler Hunter to suggest that citizens take to the streets to murder police officers should cause all law abiding citizens deep concerns. …

“Dr. Barron, I have attended far too many law enforcement funerals over the years and looked into the faces of the survivors and families left behind to mourn a senseless loss. For a Florida State University Football player to publically advocate the murder of police officers is outrageous and hateful. His disparaging language was racist, provocative and violent in an attempt to incite others to violence.”

Following is a transcript of the letter:

President Barron,

Florida State University is a well-respected and world renowned school with outstanding students, faculty and alumni. I have long been a proud supporter of FSU.

As President of the Florida Fraternal Order of Police, an organization of 20,000 professional active and retired police officers in the state of Florida, I am writing with very deep concerns regarding an incident involving a Florida State University Football player, Tyler Hunter.

Apparently, Mr. Hunter was recently encountered by the police in Tallahassee and cited for an improper turn and seatbelt violation. In response Mr. Hunter has made explicit public threats against police officers on his “twitter” social media account advocating the public assassination of police officers. For Tyler Hunter to suggest that citizens take to the streets to murder police officers should cause all law abiding citizens deep concerns. As a student athlete, whether he likes it or not, Hunter is a representative of student athletes everywhere. To suggest that the killing of a police officer is warranted because he received a traffic citation is disgraceful and appalling.

Dr. Barron, our profession is a dangerous one. We take such threats seriously. Florida leads the nation in the number of line of duty deaths of police officers. Violence against law enforcement officers continues to escalate in our state. In just the last two weeks alone, an Escambia Deputy Sheriff was shot in the chest and a Palm Bay Police Officer was shot in the face. Both will thankfully survive. However, in the year 2011, Florida lost 13 law enforcement officers in the line of duty and already in 2012 we have lost 3 more police officers to gunfire violence. Each year we commemorate their service with an annual Memorial Service at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee and inscribe their names on the marble walls of the Law Enforcement Memorial Monument. These were not just names on a wall. They were our friends and colleagues.

Dr. Barron, I have attended far too many law enforcement funerals over the years and looked into the faces of the survivors and families left behind to mourn a senseless loss.

For a Florida State University Football player to publically advocate the murder of police officers is outrageous and hateful. His disparaging language was racist, provocative and violent in an attempt to incite others to violence. We, as an organization and profession are offended by this behavior which cannot be condoned or tolerated. Our profession is not a game. It places our members in life and death situations as they proudly serve daily to keep our communities safe from harm.

But further, violence in our communities is disturbing. We only have to be reminded of the recent horrific shooting in Aurora, Colorado or looking back to ‘on campus’ violence at Virginia Tech where students were gunned down. Youthful bravado is no excuse when real people are dying in our streets. We respect freedom of speech but with that speech comes consequences and responsibilities.

Tyler Hunter wears the colors of the FSU football team. He represents the University as a public figure. His actions reflect upon the University. Coach Jimbo Fisher has told his players they can’t use their Twitter accounts for the rest of the year. This action is cited as “a move to keep the players out of trouble, focused on football and most importantly, to spare the school from embarrassment on the social networking site”. We certainly hope that this is not the solution or only discipline administered in this matter since it does not address the underlying problem of hatred and violence.

If this is the only solution the coach can conclude, it falls far too short for the seriousness of the incident. Inaction by the Athletic Department, by default, condones such outrageous behavior. It becomes eerily similar to the incident at Penn State still fresh in our memories wherein the coaches only concern was to protect the football team from embarrassment.

We demand the University fully investigate this incident and impose meaningful discipline to those involved. The goal of the University is to educate and graduate exceptional and productive individuals into our society. Certainly not to condone or advocate the murder of police officers.

If any of our law enforcement officers were to make such remarks, they would be dealt with swiftly and harshly. We hold our public safety officers to a higher standard as I am sure you would demand. Please hold the FSU football program to the high standard it deserves.

Sincerely, James W. Preston, President Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police

Preston went on to note that in 2011, Florida lost 13 on-duty law enforcement officers. And three more have died as a result of gunfire this year.