By Harriet Ramos
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Two Southlake police officers accused of drawing a swastika while on break from a department meeting have been fired, officials said.
Southlake Police Department Chief James Brandon said in a news release Friday that he was made aware of the incident on June 14 and immediately began an internal investigation.
Brandon said the officers who drew the hate symbols and shared it with others “showed exceptionally poor judgment and a lack of leadership.”
“Hate symbols do not reflect the values that we share as public servants and are not acceptable in any form or situation,” Brandon said in the release.
“I know that their actions do not reflect the values of the men and women who serve and protect our community each day, our city leadership, our organization, or our community,” the chief said.
Authorities haven’t released the names of the two officers, and it’s not clear what type of meeting the officers were attending.
Brandon called the drawing “an inexcusable attempt at humor” and said it wasn’t related to the department’s logo or patch.
The North Texas department has 65 full-time sworn officer positions, five part-time sworn officers and seven full-time civilian employees, according to its website.
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