SEATTLE, WA- A Seattle police officer has been fired for giving a dire warning against the erosion of basic human rights in America in the name of the COVID-19 pandemic. After making that video, he was placed on leave and is now facing termination. A GoFundMe page has been set up for officer Greg Anderson. He said the reason for making the video was to cross the bridge between law enforcement and the public. Since making the video on Tuesday, May 5th,
“That is not how our job works okay, what really has been pissing me off lately is the fact that these officers that are going out here and enforcing these tyrannical orders… what they’re doing is they’re putting my job and my safety at risk because what you’re doing is your widening the gap between public trust and law enforcement officers,” said Anderson. He went on to say, “I want to remind you that regardless of where you stand on the coronavirus we don’t have the authority to do those things to people just because a mayor or a governor tells you otherwise I don’t care if it’s your sergeant or your Chief of Police we don’t get to violate people’s constitutional rights because somebody in our chain of command tells us otherwise it’s not how this country works those are de facto arrests you know we’re violating people’s rights.”
He said he was originally told by his superiors that he did a great job, then four hours later, he was told to pull the plug on the video. His superior was told he was directed from further up the chain of comment to take the video down. He refused to take the video down expressing that he truly believes in the message. Later in the day, after the video was going viral in the police community, his superiors said he would be reprimanded. He stood his ground and said no.
“It was rooted in truth,” he said. “It was a positive message viewed by millions of people around the world.”
The department went into discovery mode, trying to find out what internal charges could be filed against him. It turns out the call for his punishment came from the top, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.
“I believe the constitution trumps all other laws,” he said. “It’s strange how much you life can change in a week. My head is held high. I fought in the streets of Ramadi in ’04 and ’05. I came to terms long ago that my beliefs can cost me everything, even my life.”
He is now on administrative leave status, pending termination.
Below is the original video and below that is his update video.