DETROIT — The Detroit Police department announced today that Officer Gary Steele had been fired following an investigation into an incident where Steele documented on Snapchat his purposeful humiliation of Ariel Moore, a 23-year-old African American woman, while on duty. In response to his termination, state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D-Detroit) issued the following statement:
“I am grateful to see Officer Steele is facing the consequence of his despicable and abhorrent actions. Steele’s behavior is the result of a deep-seated ignorance that is pervasive in our society when it comes to the treatment of men and women of color, and the willingness and ease with which he abused his power speaks to the need to purposefully address that ignorance through continued conversations and trainings. No one should have to face the same humiliation and degradation that Ms. Moore faced, and I hope his firing will serve as an example to all who would readily abuse the trust our communities’ place in them. Now that the appropriate action has been taken to hold him accountable for his behavior, I look forward to working with the police department, community members and other local stakeholders to repair the damage this incident caused in our community and renew our commitment to robust cultural sensitivity training.”
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