A split panel of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that a police officer could pursue his appeal of his demotion for saying that “it’s a shame he (the suspect) didn’t have a few holes in him”after the suspect wounded a police officer. The court found that although officer Charles Moser’s statement was inflammatory, the comment should be protected speech under the First Amendment because it pertains to an issue of public importance, the dangers police face and the protections afforded to them. (San Francisco Chronicle, January 13, 2020, by Bob Egelko)
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