I can’t be racist because I have … I can’t be homophobic because I have … Yeah, we all know how those end.
But alas, no, the use of the “n-word” and “f-word” is quite different than Karen in most of our eyes. Funny how none of us are saying I have stupid selfish white women as friends so I can use the word Karen. People choose to be Karens and we remind them of that, but people are not choosing their skin color or sexuality and using those words are degrading, demeaning, diminishing, and wrong.
Ok, now that we are all on the same 3rd grade knowledge level of how we should respect one another, we enter the world of those that have attended the police academy.
Back on May 8, 2020, Police Officer Daniel Wiffen was wearing a body cam when he was arresting a man (which has been referred to as MR A) and was recorded calling a man a “skinny fucking fag”. Yes, I know I said the “f-word” above, but there it is, with all of its letters.
Apparently Mr A took offense to the name calling as he is bisexual. If someone finds language like that offensive, then it is offensive and it seems like, well calling someone a “fucking fag” would be offensive.
But alas, no. It is not so much a open and shut case as an independent disciplinary panel ruled this week that Office Wiffen did not mean the slur to be offensive and he is “not homophobic”. Do tell us why not? Another “apparently” has been added to the list as Officer Wiffen only used the anti-gay slur because he was frustrated since it was a very stressful arrest, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The story goes that police were called to a disturbance outside a hotel in OxtonWiffen used the slur after visiting a scene outside the Shrewsbury Lodge Hotel in Oxton, UK where they found Mr A and a second man, both intoxicated.
Wiffen questioned the second man who was using questionable language and then Mr A reportedly became violent and aggressive.
The disciplinary panel heard that Mr A removed his traced and “assumed a fighting stance” and told police officers: “F**k off you c**ts.”
Wiffen and his colleague took Mr A to the ground due to his “escalating, aggressive behaviour” as he continued “shouting and screaming” about “Nazi governments”.
After placing Mr A in the back of a police van, Wiffen told his colleague: “You just need to keep an eye on him cos the cuffs keep slipping off cos this skinny f**king fag”.
Mr A heard the comment and was upset by it. Wiffen claimed he didn’t recall using the slur, but his body cam footage had recorded the comment. – liverpoolecho.co.uk
Was it a comment in the heat of the moment? Can it be forgiven? Wiffen told the disciplinary panel that he was shocked himself that he used the slur, and only believed it after seeing the body cam footage and clearly understood that someone would be offended by his statement.
The panel did watch the entire altercation, something that most of do not get to see on those videos released on social media and heard Mr A and the second man using the same homophobic slur as they were drunkenly shouting on the street before cuffs were used and before Wiffen used it.
In its ruling, the panel suggested that Mr A and the second man might have “planted a seed” in Wiffen’s mind when they used the slur as the police officer said he would not normally use the word.
The panel added: “He said he has gay friends, and at the time he knew ‘fag’ is an offensive word.
“He said it would destroy him if someone thought he was homophobic. He said this was not how he approached life, and that he had friends who are gay and who look different and dress differently.”
The panel ultimately concluded that there was no evidence Wiffen knew Mr A was bisexual when he used the slur. Therefore, the panel accepted that Wiffen is not homophobic. – liverpoolecho.co.uk
So where does this leave Officer Wiffen? What was the committee’s ruling? Wiffen will keep his job, but there will be a written warning placed in his file, which will remain there for three years.
So Instincters, was this a good ruling? Was it just a slip up? Was it just some words that were passed along in the conversation? Do we need to be more cautious of what we say?
We know if it was the “k-word” used, Karen, nothing would have been done. But what if this was the “n-word” used in an arrest and caught on body cam footage and brought before a disciplinary hearing? Would there be a letter? Seed planted or not, would the resolution have been different?
Pigs are stupid. Most secretly engage in homosexual activity, especially the married ones.