By Corrections1 Staff
RENTON, Wash. — Two police officers were demoted after posting a YouTube video of cartoon characters mocking the Renton Police Department and regional jail.
The cartoon depicts a jail official as a clown who gives ridiculous reasons for refusing to book a suspect brought in by a police officer. The jail clown tells the cop he can’t book the man because he’s “too drunk, his backpack is too big and he’s too loud.” “We can’t listen to him all night,” he adds.
The video depicts corrections employees as lazy and unhelpful. The jail official later says, “We spent the last two years shirking duties and calling in sick for no reason. I was told we’d all be promoted.”
The video was produced by Renton Police Sargent Bill Judd, according to NWCN.com. Judd apparently showed the video to a top commander, Deputy Chief Chuck Marsalisi who advised him to post the video anonymously on YouTube.
Both men have been demoted, Marsalisi to a sergeant and Judd as a patrol officer.
Police Chief Kevin Milosevich said told Judd the creation and dissemination of the video “deliberately distorted and exaggerated the jail’s operations,” according to the Seattle Times. He also said viewers might conclude that jail operations and jail personnel were “incompetent” and “ignorant.”
The chief also said the video “demeaned and ridiculed certain staff” and harmed the relationship between the Police Department and the regional jail.