Obviously he didn't know he was being taped and he definately acted intoxicated. My son is a police officer and he has seen things in his job that would make the average person throw up. He has performed CPR on homeless people, been beat on by wives who called the police because they were getting beat up by their husbands and he was arresting them. The police have to live through lots of garbage to help us live a quiet peaceful life. He should be able to blow off steam. There should be a place they can do this without the fear of some idiot taking a movie of it!

Officer over the line. Booze obfuscates senses..."Ya booze, Ya loose!"

Having worked in public safety for quite some time I can honestly say if you do not use a little dark humor, maybe laugh at things that would horrify others, you will go insane.

Surely you jest, RLW.

I understand police officers dealing with things that we everyday citizens never have to (and hopefully never will). However, that being said, there is a certain level of professionalism that must come with that position. And in this officer's case, his professional demeanor came crashing down when he felt it appropriate to joke at the expense of someone who had been murdered. Sorry, but that doesn't seem all too forgiveable.

Now, of course those in this field need a place to blow off steam, to vent it out and release the stress that builds up from the jobs. Drunk out at a bar in public is NOT the place. And in the age of digital everything, we all must be more aware that what we say or do could come back to haunt us. Welcome to our free country, where these videos are not illegal to make, post or distribute and if they happen to be of a drunk cop off duty laughing and joking about people having been killed. . .then too bad for him. Regardless of whether or not he "knew he was being taped" is not the question. His actions are inexcusable and completely out of line.

Suspension WITH pay? Please. A slap on the hand. He ended up getting off easy, so far. We'll see if and how it unfolds.

I agree wit RLWellman. Being a police officer is an incredibly stressful job and I think it's healthy to get this stuff of your chest. I haven't watched the video and don't want to contribute to its numbers going up so I can't say for sure if I think he was out of line but I tend to think this might be getting blown out of proportion.

Stories like this do make you realize – nothing is private anymore and you really might end up on YouTube.

This is ridiculous. I don't know what is worse, the cop thinking what he's saying is funny, or the room full of idiots laughing at it.

This was clearly a drunk man out with friends not even knowing he was being taped. Not really a big deal he was amongst friend and he was talking about his job as all of us do when where out with friends

no. i agree w/ friend just blowing off steam talking amongst friends.

My mother is an ex-police officer and she has also seen things that the average person hasn't, but to make fun or joke about a murder is totally unacceptable drunk or not. There's no excuse for stupidity!

I was in complete agreement with RLWellman until that last sentence. He should feel free to blow off steam however and wherever he wants. But if he doesn't want there to be a video of it, there IS a place he can do it... at home.

I think he could have shown a little more tact and respect for the victim and the victim's family, and this is probably a skill he should learn quickly if he's going to make a good cop, but I generally don't feel that this is a big deal. Nothing for him to get fired over.

I agree with Wellman. Cops are people too. This media on you tube takes blowing off steam to a new level. This man did nothing that a normal person wouldn't do. Everyone recalls horror in detail; why wouldn't he? The bad part is some numb scum taped it. Let's call the video taper the ignoramus, not the cop!!

Who could have a grudge like that against a cop? That's awful!!! These wonderful human beings put themselves in the line of fire for all of us. We should praise them,–not make them look stupid.

We live in a youtube society the question is not if but when will you be caught on video and what will you be saying. Cousins as police officer should not have given out victim information or made fun of the victims family. I understand and have great respect for police officers and the job they do however the way Cousins takes his job responibilies gives other police officer a bad rap he should be fired. Join the rest of america in the unemployment line.

I believe this officer was way out of line. His utter disregard for this dead man and his mother is just a sign of how sick and numb this world is becoming. If he can't handle the pressure of his job, the last thing he should be doing is getting himself so drunk to numb the pain
instead of getting some therapy himself. I hope for his sake that none of his family members end up under a sheet, or maybe he would just laugh it off too. Sick and twisted.!!

Wow. Hope he had a designated driver to take him home. And had the next day off of work!!! Oh My. Even my 17 year old thought this video was twisted! Why are they all laughing? Pretty Disrespectful police work if you ask me. Nothing funny at all about someone getting shot to death. Instead of yucking it up in a bar, getting drunk with his drunk friends, shouldn't the cop should be looking for the shooter?

First let me say, for every ones complete actions, I am not defending, but I do want to explain what can make a person in that police officers situation act that way. I myself have repeated stories from my days in civil service putting a comedic spin on it. The reason is with all the things to see and deal with, some just consume you beyond belief. And to repeat it outloud( maybe not in public) helps your mind see the situation differently and hopefully moves it to a place in you that is easier to deal with. I know that if these action get out into the public it would be devastating to the family, but I hope it helps to know that if a person in public safety is making jokes of it, it most likely means it really affected that person deeply. Again ,no excuse this should not happen in public, but try to understand the reason most likely behind it.
And remember most of all our public safety Police, Fire,EMS suffer silently. Thank you

These are the types of narrow-minded rednecks who shouldn't be allowed to carry guns and be put in positions of authority. It doesn't speak too well for his friends either.

I worked as a 911 dispatcher for over six years and was married to an EMT for a long time, I have heard many many graphic stories of accident and crime scenes. I learned very quickly that the men and women who have to go to these horrific scenes and invesitigate or clean up need a way to cope with what they see right in front of them. There are those that choose to be quiet about it and then there are those who have to make light of the situation just to deal with it. I am not saying it should be done in a public place where people who find it offensive would over hear it. I do know that if you have never witnessed these things first hand or lived with someone that has you should not judge them. These men and women of law enforcement and other emergency fields are so under paid for what they do on a daily basis we need to appreciate them and respect them a little more. With all this being said, yes the officer appears intoxicated, yes he appreaed to be letting off steam, did he go to far? In my opinin, I understand it but at the same time he may have gone over the line when he spoke of the mother coming to ID her son...but I think he got caught up with the crowd around him and just did not know when to stop. I am sure once he was sober he had many regrets and will be as hard on himself as the people who watch the video and do not understand why.........

I have lots of friends and family members who are cops, and in some of the worst neighborhoods. They've seen it all. I understand how rough of a job they have, but none of them would ever be as cold and inconsiderate of human life, and just downright unprofessional as this guy was. Those are conversations you might share with your buddy at home, but not out in public, jeapordizing a murder investigation by blabbing about it in a bar. You NEVER know who's listening. And you can't tell me he wouldn't be mad as hell if he witnessed some drunk cop talking foolishly about his dad or brother that was just murdered. Oh, the sh!t would hit the fan, then.

He definitely went too far. I would ask anyone that feels he didn't to put yourselves in the shoes of a family member if the deceased. Would you think he did nothing wrong if it were your son, brother, father,etc. that had been killed three weeks prior and was now the subject of bar jokes? This has everything to do with compassion and this guy displayed non what so ever. They say alcohol is truth serum. This guy showed his true colors and I would never want my life in his hands.

Sure, he should be able to blow off steam. BUT that should not be in a public venue. Apparently, someone there who had to listen to it did not find it entertaining, hence the video and Youtube posting. Cops are overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. That said, the guy certainly didn't show good judgment in this situation, and his friends weren't acting in his best interest by letting him continue. I feel bad for the guy, but I feel worse for the wife and family of the deceased.

There are people who deal with tragedy through humor, it's the only way they know how to process what they've seen. He wasn't laughing at the widow he was trying to get through another day working in some incredibly difficult situations. I've laughed at funerals and joked my way through illness, sometimes you need to detach yourself to prevent losing it. This cop needs his gallows humor, let him have it.

Law enforcement is among the most stressful jobs in America. They see people at their worst and have to come to grips with the horrible acts they witness daily. I don't think it was meant as a joke as much as a need to talk about it. Alcohol tends to make people less inhibited and it is unfortunate that he presented it the way he did and vented in a public place.

I think people need to stop being so overly sensitive. Its not like he said it to the family's and he didn't know he was being taped.

Look... working in the fireman, hospitals, police, and army, the person needs to develop a certain bit of detachment for their own good. Those are horrible jobs and the only way to deal with it is to learn to separate from it. Its why doctors and police don't do things like hug the people they help (usually anyway). Its for the personells good or they couldn't do those jobs for years on end.

I didn't watch this particular video but as an emergencey services professional I will say that all of us at one point or another have used "dark humour" to get us through tough times.

Having said that a public bar is not the place, around the station or at a private party among other workers sure. He appears to have exersized poor judgment, as did the person capturing the video. Just my thoughts.

RLWellman, just because he didn't know he was being taped doesn't give him a free pass to act like a disgusting idiot. He was drunk, stumbling, and belligerent. I'm really glad your son's serving his community, but if you really think that this cop was just "blowing off steam", then you're just as insensitive as he is. He's making fun of a dead man in that video, and the mother's reaction to her dead son. What if your son was caught in the line of fire, and died? What if only days later, you hear some drunk guy in a bar talking about how your son's leg was twitching after he was dead? About how you cried when you saw his corpse, and what a blubbering mess you were? Making fun of you for your grief?

This cop is too insensitive to do his job, don't encourage it by being a disgusting pig like he is. Please...if you want us to have a little sympathy for your son the cop and the horrors of his job, have a little sympathy for this poor dead man and his poor grieving mother.

i agree, RL, there should be a place where they can 'blow off steam' after working in situations that most of us can't imagine- and there is. it's called therapy. it's called home. it's called somewhere that isn't public where the possibility of his offending people with this sort of commentary isn't likely and the chance of it being taped isn't there.

Character = How you behave even when no one is looking!

Hey RL, how would you feel if was your deceased family member he was joking about? Cops do have a hard job, but they know that going in. Seeing bad things is a part of their job and if they cant handle that, then they should not be cops. Cops need to show respect to all people, especially the victims they are supposed to protect, and speak for when those victims cant speak for themselves. This cop has no business being an officer if this how he acts, he clearly has no respect for this victim their his family. His behavior is disgusting IMO, and he should never be allowed to be an officer again.

Are you kidding me????The man crossed the line he is a police officer not a townie....He should hold himself to the highest conduct at all times....Even intoxicated such horrific things about the dead should not be uttered. It is so disrespectful and the remark was very derogatory. He should at least make a public apology to the deceaseds family.

It seems that you have to watch your back and be careful of what you say no matter where you are. This is getting out of hand. Obviously the man was drunk and maybe he should have kept his mouth shut but who cares. He did not cause any harm and was minding his own business sitting at the bar talking and joking. We all do this. Everybody is out to get everyone nowadays thats all and instead of talking it out with the man they decide to fire him? or punish him to save face with the puplic? I dont much like cops myself but leave the man alone. He puts his life on the line everyday and he shouldnt be punished for a slip of the lip. Its not like he was ranting national secrets for everyone to hear.

As mucha s I really don;t care for the police, I don't think this guy should lose his job or even be reprimanded for this. As a former Amy Medical Specialist, we have to develop a bit of a bizarre sense of humor to deal with what we see every day. Medical personnel, firemen, police, etc...run into some pretty gruesome stuff. The only way to deal with it is to be able to release some of that tension and stress that comes along with that. Was his in good taste? No...but I think we can name quite a few comedians, while funny, were definitely not in good taste. It's not like this guy did something to the body or said something callous to the family. What he says on his own time is his own business. I would say that his speach is protected by the 1st amendment. Even speech we find to be hateful or despicable is protected. Why should this guy be treated any different?

A crime scene is not a joke. Someone lost their life. Blowing off steam is hardly what he was doing. Who thinks that a man being shot and twitching is funny? Who thinks the family's grief is funny? I think he may need to be evaluated mentally, because anyone who takes joy in seeing other people suffer is sick!

wow seriously? you think its ok for someone to joke about that? how would you feel if a cop joked about your loved one who was murderd??? there are other ways to "blow off steam". That was just plain ignorant. It doesnt matter how many tragic or horrible events you see your professionalism and sympathy is important. I understand your son is a cop and I thank people like him who always put their lives on the line so that we may have a peacful life but blowing off steam by making jokes of a murder case is uncalled for and unprofessional.

Yes he should be able to blow off steam without being recorded but even if he wasnt recorded what if a family member of the person who was killed heard what he said. Imagine if you'r son, daughter, wife, husband, parentes or any other relative was killed and then you heard the police officer who is supposed to be comforting joking about how the corpse was twitching. That is absolutely disgusting and he should be fired. I understand their job is dangerous but if they're going to be totally ignorant like that then they need to be in the privacy of their own home not in public. It disgusts me that he finds something that greusome funny and more so that he laughs about it with his friends like its no big deal. And then to top it all off laughing about the mother having to identify the body?! He is truely a sick man.

As a police officer, I cannot impugn this officer's behavior totally. Not to say that I agree with him taking pictures at the scene or being intoxicated especially in public or even speaking candidly in a public establishment about a crime which is still under investigation- it can definitely be seen that this officer has some issues. Before people begin to impugn his actions, remember that in every profession there are those individuals who are anomalies. Not every officer brings the job home with him or her as did this officer and not every officer uses drugs or alcohol to deal with the stress associated with the things witnessed on the job. I agree that it is sort of therapeutic to talk to someone concerning things that are witnessed on the streets however this is poor judgment on the part of this officer however this cynicism is irrefutably wrong. What I don't agree with is that the profession itself deserves the flack as a whole for what one person has said or done. In closing, I have to say that we do place a lot of burdens on our law enforcement officers, soldiers, fire fighters and public safety officials. Instead of attacking them when someone fouls up, attempt to help him or her. Academia should conduct more research and the administrators should implement those findings in order to prevent, treat, and dissolve any issues which arise from the stress of the job. Like a lady in the street told me when I quit smoking, " If I call the cops to my home, I don't want Mr. nice guy, I want someone intimidating."

Take Care & Be Safe....

It is disgusting that he can speak of death and greiving parents in this hurtful joking manner, but as RLWellman and a friend of the police officer pointed out, everyone should be allowed to blow off steam.

As a police officer who has seen all, the man most likely is much more immune to seeing horrific things than the rest of us. He can therefore joke about it more openly. Some people are just much more comfortable talking about certain things than others.

Maybe this is a lesson learned for the officer and he will learn to keep the more gruesome details and his opinion of them out of public places.

It was not the most professional thing to do, hopefully he at least didn't give names. Understood that everyone needs to vent sometimes, but something like that is best only shared with people you trust not in public. I don't think he should lose his job. However, considering the profession he chose he should think twice about how he presents himself in public.

I understand the need to blow off steam, but I think this went too far. Do I think he should lose his job? No. I think he needs some sensitivity training and to be taught a proper way to blow off the steam – I think his joking about it was his way of dealing with emotions he couldn’t deal with otherwise. I feel he should be given the tools to fix this problem and not just discarded. I cannot imagine how I would be affected by seeing the things the police see day in and day out.

I think that his display at the local bar was definitely inappropriate, and should be punished. but as far as losing his job, i dont think thats right. i don't know much about dead bodies, but i would imagine that seeing one in such a gruesome setting would be somewhat traumatizing, and maybe poking fun was his way of dealing with that image that will no doubt be in his head for a very long time.. he just needs to find a healthier way to cope. but i don't think he needs to be fired. if i lived in that community, seeing that video wouldn't make me feel less safe.

This whole article is repulsive to me. This guy needs help and so do the people that are laughing at him. I don't know what the law is, but you would think that a police officer shouldn't be allowed to discuss the details of a crime scene...............maybe he needs to be chained to a desk job after rehab.

who cares!!! and why the heck is the NAACP invovled..somehow is the officer racist because he was drunk and rambling? thats what disturbs me more than this story...that guy would take a bullett for you and yet he cant joke with out jessie freaking jackson braething down his throat.

It is a ridiculous expectation for us to think that people who have to deal with death and violence in their daily work will not become somewhat jaded by it. I'm sure this officer doesn't actually think that death is funny, but sometimes when you are continually confronted by painful things your only options are to laugh about them or cry about them, and crying gets old.

I agree with the first comment. Two of my friends (husband and wife) are both police officers and it is by far one of the most difficult career choices to survive through. They are human before anything else and they see some pretty dreadful things that without a doubt have an adverse affect on them. They need to blow off steam because without that ability, they would not be able to manage their daily lives. I for one have a great respect for the police and have often wondered why anyone would choose such a career, but thankfully for us some people do. Yes he was wrong in stating what he did, particularly in an intoxicated state. He should have gotten it off his chest in a private forum with someone he trusted. But truly, give him a break, and be thankful that many people choose to be police officers to protect our communities. Yes he made a mistake in doing this, however, the person taping him without his knowledge makes me sick.
I hope it all turns out well for him. Truly I do.

I think he was just blowing off steam with his friends. People are overreacting. When you see death over and over you have to find a way to let it out of your system and that's usually when you're having a few beers with your friends.

My son is also a policeman. He once saw a man put a gun to his head and commit suicide right in front of him. Many of the accident scenes he has been to have been horrible, besides the drug busts, and what so called "parents" so to their kids. Sometimes they joke about these things together because it's a way to deal with their emotions. And cops do have emotions. My son is a wonderful cop, but keeps alot of what he sees to himself. So be careful how you judge them.

another dirty cop.....................

This guy should resign!! Unfortunately I have been witness to many cops gone bad. A Humble TX police Officer beat up my son causing great bodily harm because this officers friend told him where his ex-girlfriend man was. They busted into the hotel room where my son was siiting on the commode and attacked him. They then posted to Facebook how funny it was and that my son's buddy needed to watch his back because they were coming back for him. Yesterday an El Paso, TX police officer attacked and arrested an ABC7 reporter and camera man for reporting and interviewing people who seen the Semi roll over that close down eight lanes on I-10. Fortunately that one was caught on video!! There are a lot of good cops out there but they are becoming fewer and far between!

Wonder if RLWellman would be so generous with her forgiveness if some idiot shot her son, then visited a bar to share the story about how his legs twitched as he was dying? Police officers do see a lot of horrible things...which they should have known was part of the job. It's one thing to share experiences, in any way they want, in PRIVACY, not with a bunch of drunks at a bar. And, before you think I am anticop, I work with federal law enforcement officers. They see a lot too, but they never lose their compassion for victims which is something this fool apparently did. I hope he gets fired.

Video footage is notorious for showing a brief snippet out of a larger context, sometimes skewing the meaning. This may not be the case in this video clip, but nevertheless it's worth bearing in mind before forming an opinion of someones worth & character without knowing anything else about them.

I agree with RLWellman 100% Leave this cop alone, he was off the clock, and drunk!!!!!

It makes you wonder how this jerk would feel is someone laughed and joked about one of his family members dead from a gunshot wound. Regardless of what his occupation is (being a cop is NOT an exception or an excuse) he should have some respect and not joke about issues that are not funny. He not only needs to resign but he owes everyone an apology

When a policemen takes an oath and becomes an officer he or she should know the stress that comes with the job. RL Wellman I disagree with you totally, he had no right to joke about a serious situation as death. Yes death is a common factor of life but a murder is nothing to JOKE OR LAUGH about PERIOD!!! He shouldn't be allowed to blow any steam about this situation or any other! To me the person video taping it is not the idiot the one speaking it is the IDIOT!!! I can't see any descent human being agreeing with what he said, but it goes to show how immature & ignorant the world truly is.

When a policemen takes an oath and becomes an officer he or she should know the stress that comes with the job. RL Wellman I disagree with you totally, he had no right to joke about a serious situation as death. Yes death is a common factor of life but a murder is nothing to JOKE OR LAUGH about PERIOD!!! He shouldn't be allowed to blow any steam about this situation or any other! To me the person video taping it is not the idiot the one speaking it is the IDIOT!!! I can't see any descent human being agreeing with what he said, but it goes to show how immature & ignorant the world truly is.

After seeing this, I wonder if his parents believe this is the son they raised and if they are proud to call him theirs. He is a disgrace to humanity, his fellow police officers and his family. Has he considered how his Mother would feel if he was murdered and was disrespected in the manner he disrespected this victim?

As to him being "able to blow off steam" per the previous commenter, I think there are ways to do just that without being an attention-seeking-drunken spectacle. Maybe the job, responsibilities and stress are too much for him to handle and he needs to consider other means of employment.

The "hyena chorus" are equally despicable excuses for humankind.

It was unprofessional of him to make those comments, and he shouldn't have done it in such a public setting, but he didn't do it on the job. He was at a bar. Whoever posted this probably had a grudge against the guy or perhaps police in general.

I think I agree with RLWellman. These guys go through so much, maybe sharing these awful stories helps them shake off some of the horror of it. If they make a joke of it, maybe it helps them cope. I know that sounds kinda sick, but then again, the stuff they deal with is just the worst of the worst at times I'm sure.

Yeah he might have been drunk but it also said that he used a cell phone camera to take a picture of the dead man’s body. He then jokes when the victim’s mother identifies her son. Im working on being a police officer and I find that this kind of behavior is really un called for drunk or not. Obviously he wasn't drunk when he took the pictures. But I do agree there is alot of stress that comes with the job but jokeing about someones dead son thats thin ice.

I agree, what most police and fire officers see on a regular basis would make the rest of us sick. Sometimes, humor is the way to cope with an uncomfortable situation. Let the guy blow off steam and the idiot who recorded him suffer for invasion of privacy!

While it is somewhat disresprectful, I believe he was just blowing off steam. As RL said, police officers do so much more than we could ever imagine and if they can somehow find light in what they do, then more power to them. We don't know the whole story, what his role was, or anything. And I'm sure he was in a bar where many other officers go and share the same...humor for lack of a better word. If noone videotaped this guy, no one would know, and therefor, no harm done. I say let him be. Minor punishment maybe, but not the loss of his job.

Yes, that's the ugly side of law enforcement. It's also the ugly side of the Military. I've seen gallows humor in the Army, especially with all the horror that our soldiers have witnessed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This cop was letting go of tension. He's not inhuman, this affected him deeply. I've seen the bodies of people who have just been killed. It affects you. You need to find a way to deal with that trauma. Humor is a tension relief mechanism for some. Maybe it's not the most PC relief mechanism, but cops put up with more psychological trauma than the vast majority of our population. I'm not excusing his behavior, but you can't view this from a civilian point of view. View it from the police or military point of view.

Of course it shouldn't have been witnessed by so many, including the family of the deceased. He should apologize and go through some counseling, but i don't think he should lose his job.

Agreed, there should be a place for him to blow off steam. But when it comes to gruesome aspects of his job, a public bar isn't one of them.

I think anyone shunning this officer should be required to ride along with a police officer as punishment. If you think that laughing about a horrible situation isn't therapy – you don't get it. These officers see the worst of th worst every day they go to work., while we piss and moan that they are not doing enough for us. Walk in their shoes for 5 minutes and you will "Get It".

No, the cop did not cross the line.

Quite frankly, I am very upset that you have chosen to give this video more popularity and further negatively impact this man's life. As a Police officer you endure great stress, just the sight of a mangled dead body is enough to cause deep emotional and psychological problems for some people. So when an otherwise upstanding Police man decides to make jokes with his FRIENDS while DRUNK, we should respect his privacy.

Have you ever made a joke about a time in your life when something very serious and, at the time, not funny at all was going on? I am no psychologist, but I do believe there is a healthy way to get over traumatic experiences by bringing them to a more positive light later on.

Easy to sit back and pass judgement on other people, isn't it? Do you really know how you would cope with a job like that?

Humor is a coping reaction, we don't know what happens to that officer when he finally goes home from the bar, he might have nightmares, depression. If the way this cop deals with the tragedy and violence is to joke, albeit at someone else's expense, them lets label him insensitive, but has he ever balked from helping a person based on the race or gender etc.? If so THEN we have a problem.

Right now the only issue we have is that he didn't choose a more appropriate and private stage for his stand up comedy, like a friends house.

Obviously this guy has no decency!!! It is his job to protect our citizens and if he can't handle it he shouldn't have taken the job. I think this is inconsiderate and outright disrespectful. There is no excuse for his nonsense.

I think his comments were absolutely disrespectful to the victim and the victim's family. Whether or not he or any other police officer sees disturbing things on the job, they knew when they decided to become officer's for the law that they would have to endure some harsh things. This in no way give him or anyone else the right to make fun of a dead victim!! The man was shot in the head for goodness sakes!! How rude can the officer be? And then for him to take a picture of the dead body and joke about the mother identifying the body?? This clearly violates some code of confidentiality and safety, and I think he definitely deserves to lose his job. I'm sure if the situation were flipped he wouldn't want an office of the law joking and laughing about one of his family members. Drunk or not, he must take responsibility for his actions and words and be penalized for it.

I agree. These guys have to see the most gruesome things day in and day out and maybe the way they deal with it is to try and make light of the situations they face. Maybe its not the most politically correct thing to do, but this was a secretly recorded video, while this man was hanging out with his friends. I doubt he would go to a press conference or something and say the same things. Maybe they weren't the most politically correct statements but if this is how he can deal with these situations and move on to continue to protect the citizens he works for, then so be it, get off his back.

Seen the video. The guys is plastered, you can't base someones whole personality on what they say when there drunk. Everyone that has been drunk can say that they might regret something they did or said. (if they can remember). Slap on the hand, I say sure. Lose there job? Thats a bit too much. imo.

Oh most definitely. I don't believe he was blowing off steam. I believe he was just being disrespectful and a coward. Why would anyone mock a human who is dying? It's horrible. I can't even begin to think how people can be so inconsiderate and disrespectful. It was totally uncalled for. He obviously doesn't take his job seriously and he should be fired. He was basically making fun of the man dying. He needs to be let go.
Yeah I understand they go through a lot, but the way he went about it was just horrible. He was laughing, joking, and making fun of the whole situation. You don't do that. There is a difference between blowing off steam and being a complete coward.

Also, as the saying goes, Integrity is what you do when no one is looking. It doesn't matter if he didn't know he was being taped, he shouldn't have been joking about the situation period.

Wow the poor cop (In the above comment) had to perform CPR on Homeless People, as opposed to what....what would he have preferred, Seriously read what you wrote....and hope as a parent you never have to identify anybody let alone be mocked drunkenly in a bar.
Whereas for the idiot blowing off his mouth in the bar, I believe there supposed to show some form of respect and to do the job they chose to do despite the fact they may have to do "undesirable" things and see things they "don't like". By all means blow off steam, we all do, but publicly and mockingly with such a delicate matter...seriously, he deserves what he gets and perhaps in his case if hes lucky he won't be mocked.

More whining, wah wah wah. Cops have to swim in a filthy sewer, dealing with scum day after day, and so what if they talk in a bar, intoxicated or not? What about free speech, folks, remember that concept, we used to have it in America before the liberal rubbish started, before the PC cops started to end our rights to free expression. This cop was not on duty, not in uniform, he was talking to his buddies, not to the press, and I know that each and everyone of us has said things in private we would not like to see published. There is such a double standard here! Jamie Foxx was disgusting about Miley Cyrus, apologized and its forgotten. Don Imus got crucified. Its all so wrong!

It is ridiculous and totally unrealistic to think that the men and women who serve as police officers could do so without being able to express and relieve the stres of what they face. Is it better for the officer to carry the images of a death inside himself without a way to lessen the burden his service to us puts on his heart and mind? We ask these mena and women every day to take care of problems we can't and don't want to face. It's quite unfair to shame them for using humor – even dark, gross humor – to deal with the toll they udnrtake for us.

There's a time and a place for everything and it's obvious this wasn't the time nor the place for this officer to 'vent', in a public venue. It's so ironic, but I've learned you see the 'real' person and they reveal much 'truth' when intoxicated. If this officer felt the need to vent, he should have done so at home or in the privacy of a therapist office. I do believe he should be disciplined for his comments and his behavior. Officers are held to a high standard whether in or out of uniform.

i wonder why people act surprised by this incident. it's not the first nor will it be the last. yes it looks bad because he was recorded by some idiot wanting attention. how many of us have family members not just in the police force but also in the military that come with stories like this. he was venting and he got recorded, wow!!! i say let the guy get back to work and people that want attention by recording other peoples conversation to get a life.

blow off steam??? now i understand it must be tough being an officer and seeing things such as homicide and rape etc on a constant basis. but how does that give this man the right to take a picture of a dead body with his cell phone camera? And to make jokes about the mother identifying her sons body...how would he like it if it was one of HIS family members that was murdered and a so called officer was laughing and making a joke of the whole ordeal??? He wants to blow off steam... take a kick boxing class, go break some dishes, write in a journal but i do NOT see how making a joke about it is acceptable.

My buddy is a cop- they have a sick sense of humor having to deal with the scum of the earth that most people try to avoid. How many of you out there have seen a body where someone was shot in the head? They have to joke about it to make it seem less real. Was it right? No. Was it justified? Yes. EVERY DAY people make comments or say something that is viewed as offensive. You should hear the stories I have, and we're not even in a place where murder is that common.

Too bad- he'll probably have to resign or will get fired.

I have to agree with RLWell man. My husband is a detective and also witnesses gruesome scenes that the average person could not handle. It is even more difficult when he comes upon a crime scene involving small children!!

Obviously someone wanted some notoriety and videotaped this poor guy just letting of steam. I don't think he meant it as a joke but when you are intoxicated, you are not in control of yourself and your inhibitions are out the door.

Of course, had he been in right mind, I don't think he would done what he did.....

Absolutely right RLWellman,
These police go to the scenes of the worst crimes. We the people aren't allowed to see what they do. We all don't make the best decisions in life and sometimes we only care about ourselves. What I am trying to say is this cop needed this to relax and to let it go. We all make jokes and make people smile when our loved ones die in order to bring our spirits up. By this cop releasing what he had seen, even if it was a little graffic and over the top, will give him the power to go back onto the streets and defend us. The jerk in this case in the person who taped it, why tell the parents about this tape? What did it accomplish? Did it bring this dead drug dealer back?

To blow off steam is one thing but to joke about the death of a person and the reaction to a loved ones response to a death is another..No officer should behave or present theirself in such a horrific manner just to "get a few laughs" or to "blow off steam"..I am in shock that any person could find humor in someone elses horrific circumstances let along a police officer..he definately needs to be reprimanded and also should apologize for his actions.

Joking about someones Death making Fun of the Victem and how the Victems Mother reacted, I do not call blowing off steam.
I think it was sickning and heartess of this so called Police Officer. Police Officers also must be held accountable as anyone else on thier jobs. You want to blow off steam do it at home .. Uh was he Driving Intoxicated I wonder???

It's time to get all of these BAD Cops off the street. They cannot be trusted any longer because there are so many bad ones.. Sad what happened to the good cops..

Whitey must pay!!!!! Whenever a white person even looks at a black person whitey must be made to suffer for all the injustices put upon the poor black man. Whitey must be fired and ran out of town! All hail the black population our new lords and masters.

I don't think they should count this because, well to be quite frank the guy who was filming(that's invasion of privacy). So why would they use something that is illegal in using? Also, you can obviously tell in the video that the man was intoxicated so he may have not even of known what he was saying. I don't know, that's just what i think, don't count the evidence from a yutz who wanted to get a cheap laugh on youtube, and if the filmer was being serious about this, he could've just as easily given this footage to the cops or whatnot. Obviously, the filmer didn't mean for this to happen or else he wouldn't of displayed it on youtube.

Like doctors, soldiers, EMTs, Firefighters and other professions that deal with tragedy, it's important that we don't crucify these people when they come across as callous in their thoughts and words of the tragedies they see.

It is a defense mechanism that allows these people to live life and do the jobs that none of us have the emotional brass to handle. If we didn't allow these people to deal with the sheer horror that they see on a daily basis, it would become internalized, and could be expressed in a much more damaging way, such as suicide or violence towards others.

The way I see it he was just doing what any bloke with a hard job does. He was drinking and it opened up his lips. Since when was it against the law to talk about your job? Should anyone get fired because they we're talking amongst friends about the work they do? Should a sewage inspector be fired because he described in 'gruesome detail' the latest junk thats been flowing through the pipes? In my humble opinion Benjamin Jealous can get bent.

The officer should be suspended without pay! It is never ok to "blow off steam" by making fun of others' misery. Officers of the law should be respectful and maintain dignity and CONTROL themselves when speaking of acident victims or corpses. Everyone tapes everything these days... nothing is off camera anymore, so hold it together and respect your job, or get fired.

I understand his job is filled with things he might not want to see. But joking around about a dead mans leg twitching is not what I call "blowing off steam". Sure it's better to get feelings out by telling people, but he needs to remember he is a police officer, not some bystander, rubbernecking to get a cheap thrill. Maybe that "idot taking a video" of it was offended by it or knew the person he joked about. There is a reason officers are called to handle things like murders- because they are trained to serve and protect, not have a laugh about a human's life when they are off duty. I'm sure this guy will get away unpunished for his behavior, "suspended with pay" gives me a good idea of how it will end up.

The cop was just blowing off steam. However, I am concerned about him taking pictures of victims. Where/whom did he intend to show that? That's a little grim.

Yes he should lose his job. If the situation was different, he would be very upset if someone was making fun of his loved one on the floor with a gun shot wound to the head. He was not blowing off steam, he was making an ass of himself and he thought it was cool. All he did was show his true colors and got busted doing it.

The moron that recorded the officer needs sensitivity training. What kind of moron puts this out there knowing the family could view it. The officer broke no laws and has a first amendment right to say whatever he wants when among friends. Enough of this police bashing!! Now we can't "blow of steam" even when it is in the confines of the laws.

Blowing off steam or not does not give him the right to describe and joke about something like this. His job is to protect and serve and it gives me the creeps to know that there are cops out there like this that do not take this sort of thing seriously and to take pictures of it for himself. Really?
I know a police officer's job is very important and dangerous and I do not take that lightly. But to joke about how a man died then to joke when the dead man's mother arrives is just wrong. Shame on his friends also that thought his stories were funny.

In this day and age privacy is long gone. We all must act as if we are live on camera being watched by the world, because we are.

As for keeping or losing his job, I disagree with his actions but if he has learned tolerance and compassion then I say let him keep it. If it continues to be a big joke to him, then maybe he kind find something else that does not involve public service.

I could not agree more.

saw the u tube and he is disgusting, probably an alcholic, he needs treatment, and to make fun of a dead person, i sure hope the family of the dead person does not see this clip. He has no compasion, and to make fun of it is just unforgiveable. He should be fired!!!!! I know there is good and bad in the world, but he definately takes the cake as bad. Police officers should set them selves as an example for the community, and not be drunk, disgusting.

My brother is a firefighter and there is a certain amount of black humor at his station that is really a coping mechanism. The firefighters that have just finished a shift will report to the incoming firefighters: "We burned one down and killed two." Obviously they didn't burn anything down or kill anybody, but it helps them cope with the large amount of death and destruction that they encounter every day.

He should not lose his job. He did not identify the person by name that he was talking about. who hasn't made a statement that was considered harsh by others? He has a high stress job, leave him alone.

While I agree that people in public service jobs like this need a place to blow off steam, I do not think that a public bar is the place to do this. I dont know about his department, but as an EMS worker, I know that our department has rules about discussing any case in public. In a small town, even if you dont use names of the victim, you may be in earshot of a relative or friend. This was a poor judgement call on his part but shouldnt result in being fired. He should use it as a learning experience for next time.

I do not agree .. yes cops have a rough job and have to deal with alot of disturbing situations and need to blow off steam ... but to make JOKES about a dead person and their mother identifying their dead son !!! what if it were your son lying there ??? what if it was your family member's death being jokes about ?? does this cop have a son or daughter ?? how would he feel if someone did that to him ?? treat people with the same respect and compassion as you would like to be treated !!!! anyone with a heart and compassion would never joke about someone's death .. especially about a mother having to identify her dead child .. regardless of the circumstances everyone deserves alittle compassion and respect ... true cops put their life's on the line everyday and i do not believe he deserves to lose his job ... just appologize for what he did .. especially to the mom in person .. she deserves that ... I always pray the human race had alittle more compassion for one another .. imagine what a nicer world this would be ... i have compassion for the mother and even for the cop and hope they can show some compassion to one another ... wishing everyone had a bigger heart to make this world a better place !!!!!

its about picking your audience correctly, like any kind of humour.
You have to ensure you are not offending people around you.
Given the nature of what he was speaking about, a bar would probably not be the best place for this.
I would suggest, discussing offical police business, should be done in private, not in a public place.
I think he has the right to say what he wants about the situation, to a certain extent.
He can laugh about it, cry about it, shout, scream or whisper.
its him expressing what he feels about a matter, and given what he does for a living i would imagine speaking about tough things is a good idea.
Bottling stuff up tends to work out badly.
But again, it comes down to who you are telling about these things, a bar where anyone can hear is a bad idea.
hell the father of the person with the twitching leg could have been sitting behind him!!!

When you work with such gruesome things regulary, it's common to want and to need to blow off steam. For some people, that includes making jokes about some of the things that you've seen. It's not always appropriate, no. But until you've been in a situation like that, it's not fair to say that his actions were uncalled for. Taking a picture of the dead body, on the other hand, was definitely out of line in my opinion, but that's another issue in and of itself. The fact that he happened to get caught on tape is what blew this out of proportion unfortunately.

wow the police are noobs

always remember folks people have cell phones – you just need to be careful – it was wrong regardless if he was drunk

So true, you see so many things you get numb and the only thing you can do is laugh. Seems insensitive but when your in that position your view on life and death changes. But no reason to lose his job over it.

0300 Infantry.

I work at a police department; and we all know there are things that you can only discuss with your co-workers. Apparently RL Wellman's son tells everything to his DAD!! We had to sign a confidentiality clause..you can and will be fired if it's broken. I understand blowing off steam...blow it with YOUR CO-WORKERS not drunkly at a bar. The family could have been around and I'm sure they've seen the video.

I wouldn't want this officer protecting me – he isn't qualified. I wouldn't want him standing over my wife, who was in fact raped at gun-point, making jokes, pointing and laughing, using the excuse that he needs to vent about his job. Police officers are not above civility. He crossed the line. If this officer doesnt' have it within him to treat people with the dignity and respect they deserve, especially in death, then they should fire him. Absolutely. We don't need cops like that protecting the public.

I think police officers, who have to see horrific things every day, are entitled to some "gallows humor." I don't know how else they'd stay sane. Although a bar isn't really the place to employ it, if the officer was intoxicated it's clear he wasn't using his best judgment. We all get "loose-lipped" when drinking. I think whomever publicized this video is just taking advantage of the situation, and has needlessly caused hurt to the family of the "victim" the officer was describing. It is the person who posted the video, not the officer, who should be most ashamed.

A person who puts such little value on life should not be a police officer period.... How could he joke when the mother is identifying her son??? How callous can a person be.

RLWellman,
I agree with you that everyone should have the ablilty to blow off steam when their job is causing them stress. Everyone does it, but then again, not everyone is in law enforcement. Something I might deal with on a day to day basis at my job my not be gruesome like a murder scene, but you certainly will never hear my vent about my job in a public place. You never know who is around that may hear you. I don't know if you have actually watched the entire video, but Cousins was not "blowing off steam". He is making fun and joking around about the victim and the mother, and BRAGGING about having pictures of the victim on his cell phone. Blowing off steam or venting because you are stressed should never sound like that...

I actually reside in Erie, PA where this is the only thing the news is covering, and I can tell you, most of the people I talk to about it are disgusted. The Erie Police Department are doing a terrible job with this investigation and I am curious to hear the major's press conference this afternoon.

Blow off steam by making fun of a dead person in-front of their mother? Yeah he really is entitled to that. RL, you are a moron of the highest degree!!!! Cops can blow off steam by going to the gym, not jeering at the sight of a dead corpse. The fact he was tapped is completely irrelevant, the fact is he behaved in a most indecent manner. I can only imagine the form in which you blow off steam RL, because apparently you are as intellectually and morally inept as this moron with a badge was....

It's one thing to seek help for the trauma of being a LE officer with a therapist, doctor or counselor. It's another to get wasted and joke about someone's death. That's not "blowing off steam" it's a complete lack of professionalism.

Regardless of them laying their lives on the line for others, which is their choice of profession, that does not give anyone the right to joke about someone's death which is a private matter in public. The fact that he took pictures of the corpse rules out all arguments that he was in any way traumatized by seeing it or "sickened" by it. Who would do something like that? I understand what police go through, every day is a risk for them but in no way can this type of behavior be condoned.

He should not loose his job. Who ever recorded him should be booked for recording someone without approval. These police officers are putting their lives on the line for that person who posted that video on you tube.

I heard this on the radio. I wouldn't have seen a problem in this but what made this a problem was the dead body and details. It was one thing to state he told a picture but it is another to describe how he was twitching and his mother's reaction. That is just inhumane. Plus, Why would he disscolse the name. There are some major confidential boundaries he crossed there. He could've done this a better way if he wanted to blow off steam like RLWellman above said.

The officer is wrong and should undergo sensitivity training. Also he should leave work at work.

It is true that police officers do a lot of dangerous work, and they put their lives on the line for us everyday!! I know many police officers and they have my utmost respect. But I also feel that being a police officer you have certain responsibilities to uphold. People are trusting you with their lives and when police respond to calls, they enter into the most personal times of people's lives, and they should be carrying themselves accordingly. It is a very personal and sad time in people's lives and to mimic and joke about a time when a human life was in the balance, or was in the process of being taken is in poor judgement not just for a police officer, but for any human being. I think it would hit people much harder if the victim that he was joking about was their own brother, sister, mother, father, husband, wife, or child. This solemn and sacred time should be kept private out of respect for the victims, and their families!!!

He shouldn't lose his job it was just a couple comments. I think that with all the crap PO's put up with a slip up like that should be punished with unpaid suspension for a few weeks not the loss of his job.

Perhaps written up, but not fired. If he possesses a good record there is no reason he should not be given a second chance following a write-up for taking the pictures and some therapy. A murder victim is nothing to joke about but some people blow off steam in different ways and he may have not meant any real harm.

No he did not go too far. I can only imagine what a DEAD BODY twitching makes someone feel. It's horrible. it's in our nature to make light of serious situations in order to feel better. PO's put their lives on the line EVERY SINGLE day for the rest of us. Now every Tom Dick and Harry wants to be Scorsese with their awesome directorial skills. The guy is obviously intoxicated and letting off some steam. Suspended? Please! let the guy go back to work and protect the masses.

This cop should of been allowed to blow off steam. He was out with friends and off duty. The idiot that videoed him on his phone should feel so ashamed of what he did. What a troublemaker.

I am so sick of people making excuses for unexcusable behavior. Yes, I respect the police and the sometimes unimaginable job, and horrors that they must deal with. I respect the fact that they risk their own personal safety to care for the public. However, there is no excuse, regardless of the place, or circumstances, for this man's behavior! If he has found himself at a point in his life and career, where it is necessary for him discuss such things, and joke about them with his frineds in order to deal with the atrosities that human's can do to one another, then perhaps it is time for him to find a different career with less stress. Regardless of the fact that he may have been intoxicated, his actions were immature, and disgusting, to say the least. I can only imagine the further pain and suffering that the vitim's family and friends are now dealing with as a result of this officer's total lack of judgement. Many careers are stressful, and many of us deal with sensitive, and confidnetial information, however most of us do not display this kind of behavior. I believe that this officer is entirely too immature, and insensitive to be a credit to the police dept. and he should be severly disaplined for his actions.

They should be able to BLOW OFF STEAM??? Well joking with strangers in a bar about how a mother came to indentify her dead son's body is not in good taste at home with friends and family, let alone at a public facility..... He deserves exactly what he gets. And to the "idiot" (as you call him) who recorded it. . . Thank You! If the officer was okay with saying what he said in a public place in front of strangers Im sure he doesnt mind when the whole world gets to hear what he has to say either. And if he does he should have kept his thoughts in private (at home!)
So YES the cop crossed the line And YES he should be fired!

I think the fact that he took a picture with his camera phone of the deceased body should be cause alone for him to lose his job. He obviously doesn't take his job and the victim's family seriously, drunk or not.

I believe that if he did not use the actual names of the victim and the mother then it shouldnt be a problem, i am in the Military and i see and hear messed up things all of the time, some people cope differently in my case much like this officer i make jokes it helps to lighten the burden.

How stupid was that comment above. I don't care what your job is, from a worker at a drive thru to a police officer. You should ALWAY's remain professional while working. There is no excuse for what this man did, it was ignorant and OUT OF ORDER. WHAT IF IT WERE YOU THAT HE WAS LAUGHING AT? Just like all teachers should not be teachers because they don;t love kids, then not just anyone should be a police officer. You have to be special to deal with the public and all that it brings. If he is laughing at this what else is he doing. I do agree that they need a way to release all that they deal with, but not at someone elses expense. He sounds like a ticking time bomb to me. DRUNK on duty I suppose that was ok as well?

Blowing off steam and laughing at someone else's expense are two different things. Like the article said, “His job is to inspire trust and to make the people of Erie feel that they will be protected, that their cases will be taken seriously…he is being profane not just with his language but in his actions, not just towards the family but toward the entire community.”

RL Wellman, that place should be with a police doc not at a public bar for any citizen to hear and or see! I am sure you would feel the same if it was one of your family members that was being "joked" about. If this police officer "blows of steam" in public what is he doing when no one is watching?

It looks to me like just another scumbag cop who has absolutely no respect or remorse for a tragic event that occured during his shift. Let's just say for a second that this guy isn't a cop. Let's just say he's an average citizen that witnessed somebody die. What kind of PERSON/ PEOPLE laugh at or make jokes about someone losing their life and/or a mother losing her son. It is really DISGUSTING to see people act like this and scary to think that this is someone that I would have to call in a time of distress. " Blowing of Steam"???? Are you serious. Like I said earlier, just another scumbag cop with no dignity or class....scary.

To: RlWellman...I agree...but CNN will make a whole month of stories about this. CNN hasn't figured out that Bush is no longer our President.

Well said, RL – few of us have had to walk a mile in an officer's shoes. It isn't always pretty out there.

I agree with the above comment of RLWellman. Police officers have to put up with a lot of $hit that most people wouldn't even dare to endure.

So he was talking smack. So what!!! Doesn't everyone do that every now and then? It just so happened that HIS job is to respond to murders. I'm sure everyone has blew off steam about something that happened at their job one time or another.

Leave this poor guy alone, stop being so discriminative, and let him get back to work.

Police Officers deal with the underbelly of society every day. They are the ones who get to see the "dark" side of reality. Most of us go through the day looking at the bright spots and forgetting the bad things that happen. For those who have to deal with all the adversity and anguish that can be a part of life, they need an escape or release. Many Police Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics, EMTs, and Military personnel use humor as a release. Unfortunately, they have become somewhat immune or hardened to the sad facts of death. But, they need to be able to release their anguish, rather than bottle it up and become the next headline in a grusome incident.

The Officer should not lose his job. Rather the Department and the public as a whole need to open their eyes and see that this Officer is hurting. They need to provide psychological and emotional support to him and his family. As do Departments and Miltary leaders everywhere...

People ought to have the reasonable expectation that they are NOT being videotaped when talking to friends. We don't need to know what cops, surgeons, priests, etc, say about us behind our backs.

That said, taking cellphone pics of murder victims is just invasive. It's not as though there's any forensic value – one presumes the police photographers took all the photos necessary for the criminal investigation.

We all blow off steam and make comments within the confidentiality of our friends regarding our jobs. While he may have displayed bad judgement during intoxication, he clearly didn't know he was being taped and should not be dismissed based on his actions. He puts his life on the line for his community everyday and should be allowed to express himself without being judged. If he was serious about every aspect of his job, he would not be able to last through a career as a police officer.

Blowing off stream, is one thing, showing disrespect towards a murder victim is another. Taking personal pictures of the murder victim, for owns personal used is not only disgusting but should be against police policy. One more thing he did wrong is making fun of a mother who had to ID her dead son. How would he like it for some cop to laugh and joke, if it were his wife iding her dead son or daughter. He needs to show MORE Respect.

Leave the man alone. Try and understand what might be going through his head that was finally released through crass humor. If you came across a scene as gruesome as he did, you would need some way to release the shock to your senses. Those of us that have seen the real thing, up close, you never lose that vision, that smell, that sense that can't possibly be real.

Give him a break. He'll learn from this mistake. He's had a life-altering experience that he will never ever be able to set aside. Be thankful that it's only crass humor and not something far worse. He's doing a job that you and I aren't willing to do. Try and consider all of the aspects.

Alright, maybe the wrong place to let the steam off, but there are proven clinical studies that have shown that when an individual has been faced with a traumatic situation, i.e. seeing a murder victim, they often respond with humor. It's not that he is a bad officer or person, it is simply that he is trying to deal with what he saw. If anything the police department should be reviewing the outlets they provide to their officers to cope with these disturbing situations that society forces them to witness.

wellman,

i completely agree with you. cops dont get paid enough to see what they see everyday. i know it sounds horrible but sometimes humor is a coping mechanism. not only is it hard to see the worst society has to offer evryday but often times cops have no where to turn and have no one to talk to. i hope that as a society we can forget about this incident and think about all the good things that this officer has done that no one ever hears about.

yes

Whether he was drunk or not, his comments were hurtful to the family
of the victim. If it were my family member I would be very angry and
upset if I were to hear someone laughing at my loss! Somebody will
be suffering for the loss of their loved one.

We are not just individuals – there are people who love and care for all
of us. Many other lives are attached to just one person.

I expect more integrity and honor from our police officers!

Laughing about a man who lost his life is not "blowing off steam", it is highly disrespectful and despicable. We ask more of our police officers and he should act better, no matter if he is on tape or not. I am sure a lot of police officers are embarassed by this and will not come to his defense, and rightfully so.

What people do off the clock is nobody's business. Whether you like what he says or not should not affect his job, especially since he was drunk. Did he behave this way on the clock and sober?

What annoys me is the person who videotaped it and posted it on you tube. Why is nobody questioning their motives, I had to have know this wouldn't be flattering for this cop.

While I am a full supporter of the NAACP, they always seem to be asking for people to step down and its is getting old.

This was a dead man RLWellman, how would you feel if that were your son or daughter being made fun of while they lay dead. You're right about police officers seeing things that would make the average person throw up, but then again isn't that what they signed up for? There is a place he can blow off steam...it's called in PRIVATE not in a bar admitting he took a picture of a dead mans body with his cell phone camera! Police men and women are out there to keep the peace,make civilians feel safe and equal not for us to wonder if they're out there making light of a tragic event such as this....think about that.

I agree with RLWellman, everyone needs to blow off steam without the added stress of worring about losing your job.

I agree with you RLWellman; I am married to a police officier and have been for the last 26 years. This is so unfortunate that he can not go out off-duty and blow steam off with his friends, without someone trying to cause pain and aggravation to someone else by taping him. What in gods name is this world coming to. I am sure that he was laughing cuz if they do not laugh at the things that scare them the most then they would end up crazy like our society. I think that what all police departments in every city should do is open up "privately owned" clubs just for police officiers and their families to avoid the public on their days off. This will give all the officiers some downtime away from the job so that idiots leave them alone.

PS I also work in a hospital you should hear the medicial staff in the ER's and other units about what they see. Actually they have running bets on who will see the most bizarre case come in and then they post it in the doctors lounge. Oh, but lets not talk about that cuz everyone needs a doctor.

So get off the police and give them credit with what they do everyday

When you are a police office, soldier or sailor you see things that normal people would never see in the everyday life. These things have a tendency to stick in the minds of those (like me) who were witness to these events. We need ways of being able to cope with them and get by. The easiest is to joke about them. I beleive that the person who shot this you tube video is probably someone who has never seen any major tragedy in their life. I believe this officer did nothing wrong and that is his way of dealing with what he saw.

Whether intoxicated or not, there is no excuse for his behavior!
While the police might have to witness and experience things
that are horrific and unfathomable, they still need to represent
and uphold the law in our society, on or off the clock!!
Obviously ,he chose the profession and in doing so, he took an oath to protect;
explioting the fact that someone was murdered, by discussing details,
then taking a cell phone picture, was morbid in itself, and very
disdainful. His lack of moral judgement and ethics, are both questionable as well. If he needed to "blow off steam," he
could have pumped iron at the gym, or sharpened his skills at
the gun range, something constructive!
Whose the idiot now?!!

Whether or not he knew he was being taped, he can certainly blow off steam with his buddies since he was off duty at a bar but he crossed the line when he took a picture of the dead son with his cell phone while he was on duty. I don't think he should be fired but definitely disciplined for that action.

No, he should not lose his job for something he said at a bar. Police officers deal with more than we can ever imagine. The stress of their jobs can be tremendous... give him a break!

I am a part-time student working on my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. I take offense to what this officer has done. He gives good officers a bad reputation and makes it more difficult for the good ones to gain the trust of those in need. This man's death, whether it be self-inflicted or murder, is not cause to joke about or make fun of. Somewhere there is a parent grieving over the lose of thier child no matter what. For the parent of the officer above, how would you have felt if it was your son whom he was making fun of and he was making fun of you when you were identifying your son's body.
Yes, I agree that being a police officer is difficult because of the things you see and deal with everyday. Yes, police officers need to blow off steam but this was not the way. He was out in public when he did this. Anyone from this victim's family or friends could have heard this while being out too. There is a time and a place to blow off some steam and stress but this was not it. To be a good and effective police officer, the officer has to have the desire to help those in need and be willing to put themselves in harms way in order to protect and serve those of their community. That is the motto, "to protect and serve". If they are not willing to do this then they really should not be in this line of work.
I also know police officers, corrections officers/guards, probation officers, etc. and that is the message I always got from them. They know the dangers that may be waiting for them at the next call or just around the corner but they are willing to help and do their duty no matter the price.

In all due respect to your son that's a police officer, I don't think "blowing off steam" is equivalent to discussing details of a case, especially when it crosses the line of making FUN of the deceased and their surviving family members. Obviously we're dealing with a maturity/respect issue here on Cousins' end. To be honest, I'd like to punch that guy in the face.

We're supposed to trust and respect police officers (which is almost impossible to do now-a-days), but how do you respect someone that will make fun of such a sensitive issue? I'm sorry, but that isn't "blowing off steam". That's despicable behavior, and I feel sorry for the residents of Erie, PA.

We all deal with situations differently. As someone who has studied forensics and have seen horrible things, we use humour as a defence mechanism to deal with issues. Just Wellman wrote... he shouldn't be punished for blowing off steam.

Yes, there is a time and a place for everything but he didn't intend it to be hurtful or harmful. I'm sure he feels bad enough as it is. It happened... move on!

I agree with RLWellman !!! Leave the man alone. He was with friends blowing off stress from his job. Last time I checked being a police officer ANYWHERE in this country is not a cake walk. This was a private conversation between friends – nothing more – nothing less.

The person with the cell phone that uploaded the video would be upset if the police recorded him/her and put it on the internet for everyone to view, and then claim invasion of privacy.

Its understandable that cops see and hear a lot more than the average person...but blowing off steam?!..there's many more ways to blow off steam then to make idiotic, insensitive remarks that he made....drunk or sober..so if a police officer responded to the scene of your son's murder and started taking pictures and telling jokes on a bullet being put in his head...eould that be o.k.?..would that be considered blowing off steam?...I'm so sick of this cop mentality that cops can do no wrong just because they put their lives on the line everyday!!...cops kill beat and racially profile those same civilians they're supposed to be protecting everyday..and the worst that gets done is a suspension..but if a cop gets killed..its an automatic death sentence...go figure!...SEAN BELL...OSCAR GRANT...and even the case of the football player in texas being withheld from seeing his dying mother-in-law moments before her death are these too considered officers just blowing off steam?..call the person with the phone an idiot all you want but just the same as you can't go anywhere or do anything without someone recording it, you can't get pulled over,arrested,or approached by cops without being intimidated beaten or harrassed...

To the only other comment on this page. I completely agree that officers should be able to blow off steam. But this is a clear and concise case of DISRESPECT. Making fun and laughing at a man that just lost his life, let alone that mans mother. These are horrible traits to have as an officer of the law. You should both be smacked in the face.

All well and good, but a public place where others go to blow off steam is not the place to do it. If you're at home fine, but when your in public and talking all kinds of garbage in front of potential victims family ect. It's not the place

When are we going to realize that we cannot expect police officers to be perfect. OK he made a mistake, he should apologize and move on. No other area of employment is there such scrutiny as there is in law enforcement. Lets relax a little. If a citizen talked this way about a police officer they shot and killed, no one would be screaming and hollering for his head.

At best, this is a man who needs some psychological counseling to deal with the stresses he is experiencing at work. At worse, he's a racist bum and a discredit to the men and women who wear the shield of law enforcement everyday and manage to do their jobs without publicly disparaging the people they are supposed to serve and protect. While there may be much debate as to which role – sinner or saint – the officer plays in the video, there is no doubt the true buffoons of this piece are the so called "friends" who stood around laughing while this guy made a complete fool of himself. Whether he was a good cop in need of counseling or a bad one who deserved a swift kick in the pants, someone should have pulled him aside and said, "Okay, dude, enough is enough". That's what FRIENDS do when looking out for their associates is more important than their own selfish desire to be entertained. Others just stand around encouraging them, which is what these idiots did (especially the woman next to him, who laughed at his every word and couldn't help saying how much she wanted to see the pictures the cop had taken of the deceased man). Don't blame the person running the camera – he/she did more for this guy and the community than those losers did because, thanks to him/her, the officer is either going to get the help he needs or be taken off the streets.

Need to blow off steam then fine do it behing closed doors at home, not out in a public place for the world to hear. I don't care if he didn't know he was being taped or if he was intoxicated. I work in a hospital and see a lot of things to, but don't say anything about patients in public. It's about having some moral ethics and as a cop he must be held to a higher standard. A standard this officer does not meet. He should be fired and be forced to pay back all income he recieved since the incident.

I agree that police officers should have a place to blow off steam. I believe it is called counseling. Anyone who would think that this is ok obviously has not lost a child. God forbid they find themselves in a similar situation where they have to go identify their child in a morgue only to find out later someone thought the whole incident was "funny". Not only has he lost the respect and creditability of a good police officer, but also I know if a family member or I were involved in an incident I would not want him there. Officers work too hard to gain the publics trust and respect to have one bad big mouth bad apple ruin it all. Something should be done, just to show that the force does not condone this kind of misconduct.

People react under pressure in different ways, maybe this is the way this person does it, through humor. He was not on the job, was on his own time and should be able to express himself freely as per our Ammendment rights. The political correctness has gotten way out of hand and this has been blown way out of proportion. If he had joked in front of the family, that would be a different story. Leave the man alone!!

I totally agree with RLWellman, he should be able to blow off steam! Police put their lives on the line for us. I'm not saying it's ok to give every officer a free pass to mess up, but this is a little too much. He should not lose his job over this. Had he abused his power like some others do then yes he should lose his job. We all have probably one point in time during our lives have said something before we thought about it, especially if you've been drinking. Give the guy a break!!

This is a tough situation. The guy was with his his friends blowing off steam. It should be illegal to post videos of people without their knowing or permission.

Blowing off steam... ? No he was crossing the line and needs some direction in what is appropriate. Not everyone has what it takes to be in law enforcement. he may need to reevaluate his career or get some counseling to help deal with the brutality of his job. His bad, he owes an apology to the the family of the deceased.

Oh please.. do people have nothing better to do but pick on this guy????? Honestly... get a life.

Police Officers see a lot of things on a day to day basis that must be very hard to cope with. One of the main ways to deal with this is through humor. There are a lot of doctors our there who cope the same way. Of course these things are going to be shocking to HEAR, but this makes me empathize more with the Officer because it helps you understand how shocking it must be for the officer to SEE.

I agree that police officers should be able to blow off steam, but they should not be doing it in a public place where it will only disturb the community (or even worse, someone record it and put it up on the internet to disturb the entire country). Then again, the officer should never had taken photos of the murder victim with his cell phone. It's disrespectful to the deceased and completely out of line. I think that alone is enough reason to be suspended.

People dealing with death as a part of their jobs, sometimes form an "odd" sense of humor to deal with it. I have worked in a profession taking care of the elderly and dying, and can say that I have joked about things with my peers that would make most people completely shocked. It is the only way we can go back to work and face it over and over again. I am a compassionate person, and would never knowingly offend others. When you spend so much time with misery and death, you have to find a way to keep it at a distance, so you can offer your best to the next person needing your assistance. I hope he will not be fired for his comments, but I do hope he learns a lesson about sharing his experiences with others outside of work.

I understand what RLWellman is saying, and I do agree that everyone blows off steam and says insensitive things, especially while intoxicated. But I would just ask you to flip the scenario around. How would people react if it were "boys in the hood" talking about a dead cop, using exactly the same words and acting it out the same way?

If he needed to blow off some steam thats what a shrink is for. As a police officer he should be a little bit more professional. It is very innapropriate for him (when he was most likely well known and people knew that he was a police officer) to be telling people details of a crime scene where a murder took place.

People need to give him a break.

It's not like he joked about it in front of the family or anyone close to the guy.

I've never been a Police Officer before, but I can imagine it's a stressfull and emotionally straining job.

Maybe joking about the things he's seen is his way of coping with it. Maybe, just maybe, he isn't the jerk that he's being painted as.
Instead he could be a good cop who had a lot on his mind, and in keeping with trying to appear tough (like cops should be, else they get criticized for that aswell) he talked about it in a joking tone.

How is recalling events at a crime-scene supposed to protect the victim? Sometimes I think the people running the NAACP just like to gripe about something all the time. It's quite detrimental to the cause.

Give the Officer a break.

RL Wellman... You wouldn't think it was just blowing off steam if it was someone joking about your son's lifeless body twitching or taking a picture of your son after his head had been blown off. At what point in time does our society remember humanity? This cop was mocking the death of someone's son, father or brother. He is hired under a code of conduct. He is supposed to treat people with respect. And no, he shouldn't be able to just go to a bar, get drunk and discuss things that he has seen throughout his day as a cop. That is part of being a responsible cop. It's in bad taste and it's really unfortunate that you have such low morals to think otherwise. You must remember that if people don't want to be judged by certain actions, they shouldn't perform them. If he didn't want everyone to know that he behaves this way and speaks of the people he's supposed to be protecting so poorly then he shouldn't have done it. Also, it's part of your son's job is to perform CPR on homeless people... you act like it's beneath him. That's what he gets paid for, or does he not receive a paycheck? Is he a selfless volunteer cop? I didn't think so. I agree that police do have to deal with a lot, but what about what the family of the deceased man has to deal with? How do you think they feel watching this moron laughing about their loved one? And, if you feel that there should be a place where cops should blow off steam... fine. You'd propose that should be the local pub?

no way should he lose his job. all these activists live to jump on somehting and spin it. no body even thinks to realize that if he dosent talk about it, it grows on his mind. his actions could be one of release for what he has to deal with. if you have ever seen anyone with the side of their head blown off, there body will continue to twitch for a while. most of you would be at you phyciatrist asking for drungs to help calm your nightmares.

I think that he should be reprimanded, I am not sure that he should loss his job though. I think a lot of these police officers feel that they can do and say what they want to people without punishment. So yes he should have to pay for the errors of his ways.

do I think he should lose his job over joking around. No, I think that he needs to maybe, be talked to and just told not to do that sort of thing in public. Because other people don't understand about what police officers have to go through during the day. My heart goes out to the mother but, people have to be able to blow off steam.

It was unprofessional regardless.

I agree that police officers should have a place to blow off steam but the problem here (IMO) is that he found it funny and took pictures of the body. Why would he need to take a picture with his cell phone? And why laugh about it – I realize some stressful situations make people act differently, but he took pictures!! The two sides to this story are very difficult – 1) You have an officer that has a stressful job and would understandably need a place to vent, but 2) You have a mother who has just lost her son and she now has to hear about how the officer at the scene thought it was funny and took a picture of your dead son's body. I find that part very disrespectful. That is how people are loosing their jobs now a days. I do hope he doesn't loose his job but he does need a very stern reprimand.

a funeral director would get sued for the same behavior. it's called intentional/ unintentional infliction of emotional distress. this guy is definitely a moron. seems the police department is the only place for him. oh yeah, the cell phone picture is also completely illegal. but i wouldn't ever hold a cop to actually knowing the law.

Maybe it was haunting him and that’s the way he deals with upsetting things. Its not like he was doing these action in front of the family. Come on- They want him to quit????...That’s trash.
Ok so taking a picture is a little messed up-That part I don’t agree with. But to be reenacting something that he saw–is nothing to be fired over. Give him a break. He was most likely freaken drunk anyways…We all should be talking about the female Sunday school teacher in Tracy, California who is accused of kidnapping, rape and murder…Not some cop blowing off steam

I actually live in the town (outside of Erie), where this bar is located. This officer works part time in the police force that protects my town. I'm sorry, but I don't view this is "blowing off steam" ...I think it's rather sick. Surely there are other ways for a person to blow off steam that don't include photographing the bodies of homocide victims, making fun of hysterical and grieving mothers, etc etc. He is a police officer... where is his dignity? It's hard to take ANYONE seriously when they act in such a manner. Luckily, he's been suspended without pay from Girard's police force, and although at this point he's only suspended with pay from Erie, at least it's something. Hopefully he will be terminated from both forces.
Also, for the nonlocals reading this... check out Erie's local news. If you don't find this to be disturbing itself, maybe reading around and learning about the officer conducting the internal investigation of the recording will change your mind. This guy went to the house of the brother of the person who recorded the video, demanding that it be removed and trying to threaten a federal wiretap case. Really? I can not even fathom how he was allowed to be a part of this investigation when he could be bullying and intimidating potential witnesses. Plus, there is nothing wrong with the video taken in a public place being posted, so I don't understand why it was investigated to be removed in the first place. Getting this guy off the force should be the top priority.

I'm sorry but i have a different opinion then the man above, sir think if it was ur son that had jus been murdered and a police was making fun of his body would u think it was funny i think not, i could care less if he is a cop, president it should'nt matter that is not sumthin to joke about no matter what they put up with, its there job n if they dnt like it they should choose a different career

There are a lof of places they can do that sort of thing PRIVATELY, including a therapists couch, or at home. If my fiancee was the corpse that cop was disrespecting in a bar with me present, I'd be in jail right now. And I consider myself one of the first people to come to the defense of cops; they have the WORST job immaginable and are not paid anywhere near what they deserve. But there are those cops that just can't be cops or can't be cops anymore.

he's entitled to blow off a little steam... BUT not at the expense of a murder victim and his grieving mother. did you not see the part of how he took pictures of the dead body on his cell phone? this kid is a disgrace to all the good cops out there. he should be fired. and this is coming from someone in school to become a police officer!

No he didn't cross the line & no he should not lose his job. Everyone in any field blows off steam.

I believe that there should be a clear line drawn for police officers between blowing off steam and conduct unbecoming an officer, and this guy obviously crossed the line. Individuals are quick to jump in on his behalf because he is an officer of the law and he puts his life on the line every day. For that fact he should be honored yes however; he should treat people with the respect that they deserve as human beings and victims. The excuse that he see horrible things on a regular basis is no excuse because we have many officers out there that are doing the same thing he is only with honor and respect. If he doesn't have the situational awarenesss to watch his mouth when in public then maybe he doesn't have what it takes to be one of the city's officers. I was a soldier in the US Army and I have seen things that I will never speak of again especially not in the manner that this guy was creepy enough to use. I am disappointed that time and time again we see police not being held accountable for their actions so nothing will come of this I am sure, but it should. All in all the person that made the movie is not the idiot in this situation the so called officer of the law is!!!

Even an off duty police officer is a public figure and should remember that at all times – even drunk in a bar. I understand blowing off steam at the end of the day, but making fun of a dying person? This officer needs to man up and take responsibility for his actions, apologize not only to the community but to the dying mans family. Show a little compassion, we are all sons and daughters, moms and dads regardless if we are upstanding citizens or criminals, it gives no right for anyone to do something like this. I would have video taped it too, his actions were disgusting!

I believe police officers deal with serious issues differently than the civilian population. Joking about terrible situations is a way to deal with the horror and heartbreak they experience every day. Whoever took this video did it when the officer was off duty, having a few drinks to unwind and blow off steam. I think it's absolutely unfair for this video to have come out – what an invasion of privacy. Leave him alone to do his job. Before you are quick to criticize, think of how you would deal with having to see someone's brains blown out before you...

He can blow off steam, but a public venue is not the place for it. Alot of that information is confidential and for him to disclose it in earshot of anyone outside is wrong. Where is the victims rights? It's a shame really.

I agree. People need to being so sensitive towards things that don't even pertain to them. The officer may have been in the wrong taking a cell phone pic, however talking about and even joking about it may be his mechanism to cope with all the things he has seen. Now if the family of the victim was truly offended and not pressured by outside people then the officer should apologize. Who is Benjamin Jealous to say that he should retire? Seriously do people just sit around and wait for stuff like this to happen? Are we paying people to be sympathetic and irrational towards things that don't even affect them? Give me a break...

it dont matter if he know that he was being taped he should of never said anything about a person who is dead or about there family that goes to show what kind of person he is joking and taking pictures of the dead body he should of just slapped the family in the face because that how they feel having this officer of the law laughing and joking at there dead love one THAT JUST WRONG IN MY EYES

He should be fired, no doubt. I would NOT want a cop to work on a case of anyone I knew, if he was to poke fun at them. Intoxicated or not, this man was out of line. It is completely disrespectful, and him losing his job should be the price he pays. Also, him taking a picture on his cell phone, crosses the line. That was unrelated to his work, his own cell phone picture disgusts me. How could someone think that this is alright? I'm sure if it was one of his loved ones, or even himself, he wouldn't appreciate another cop poking fun.

He is paid not to make an ass of himself in public. He should know better. We all do things that if we knew someone was watching or listening we would not do. He got caught, his bad now he appears to be an insensitive jerk. Because he is a jerk. But normally he would not have people know that about him. It's like someone using a racial slur with friends. Just because you would not say it to the person's face does not make you any less racist. It does make you ashamed of who you are and your believes. Again he's jerk, but he would not have you know that about him if he could help it.

People say stuff when they are intoxicated. Alot of which they do not mean. It just comes out. Everyone that drinks does it so he should not have been video tapped saying any of that. I bet the person that took the video has done it before to.

I agree that we all need to blow off steam, however, the way in which we do so may be the issue here. I think every mother deserves respect for her child, no matter what age. I would be so devastated to find out that my child had been disrespected that way. That is just a kick in the stomach after having already lost her son. Why is it that we are to show the utmost respect to police officers only to find out how greatly some of them disrespect us. As my mother told me growing up, don't say anything out loud that you would be uncomfortable telling everyone. There is a place you can blow off steam without someone taking video of it. It's called your own home. Maybe the videographer is not the idiot here.

I don't have a son/brother/father/relative who is a cop, but I do know several. I love the fact that they are out there to defend us from the dregs of society. But I also know that coming up on a murder victim is more likely to induce sympathy or some other more appropriate reaction. What we see in this nearly 8 minute video is disdain, disrespect and strong stereotyping in play. I'd be afraid to live in the city this man protects. I also know that people, when they are drunk, tend to say what they really think.

RLWellman, that's all good and well that swine need to blow off steam because of the ugly things they see, but how does that excuse this officer of taking a picture with his personal cell phone of a dead body, so he can look at it later to remember how the man's leg was twitching after he was BRUTALLY MURDERED, just for some sh*ts and giggles?? That he went on to share with room full of people??

That dead man was someone's son, someone's grandson, maybe someone's father. What if it were YOUR son that were lying dead in the street, shot in the back of the head by some random person while on duty, and I just happened to be on the scene to take took a picture...which i then shared with random people in a bar and laughed about how he twitched after he died...yeah sit on that because it could be YOUR SON that's killed on his next traffic stop.

You call the video maker an idiot??!!?? Why?? Because they were disgusted enough to want to capture what the "City's Finest" REALLY thinks about the people they're suppose to protect and serve?

As long as it's some random person who's lying in the street dead, it's okay for the police to laugh it up at the expense of their death, but let that have been a cop that was being talked about and laughed at in that bar (MAYBE YOUR SON) then all you people who love law enforcement would be up in arms with your disgust level...

People like you make me sick...

No one is PERFECT to expect that we all say and do the right things all the time is impossible. We need to get over ourselves. Let him speak his mind, We have all at some point made inappropriate comments how would you feel if it was recorded and posted on a website?

In response to your comment I agree that cops should be able to blow off steam due to the stress of their jobs.....BUT they should be doing that in a private area. If a cop gets drunk while off duty in a bar where people know he is a police officer he should keep his mouth shut about things like that. How would you feel if you were related to that person and heard those comments? Police need to have respect for the victims and their families when discussing crime in a public forum.

You just lost The Game!

This is a display of callous disrespect. It's unfortunate that the rigors of the job jade our officers and impair their judgment. What may seem to other people/officers as someone blowing-off steam, is by average standards disrespectful.
The question is larger than whether he crossed the line. The question is how can we prevent what appears to be the inevitable lose of sensitivity and humanity that results from day-to-day exposure, and desensitization, to horrific and gruesome scenes.
I don't think that the officer acted any differently than would be expected of most officers that have become desensitized. Should he be held accountable? Yes, but there has to be a way to address this constructively and not necessarily punitively.

I think that perhaps he should be reprimanded and reminded that certain things need to remain confidential...and certainly he should be respectful of people and their time of need. However, I understand how sometimes people deal with bad things by displaying inappropriate humor. I do not think that he should be suspended or lose his job. A refresher course would be appropriate though.

Stop making excuses for his inexcusable behavior. If he needs to blow off steam he should go to the gym or go for a run.
How would you feel if it was your brother or son he was laughing about, taking pictures of? This is not someone I would want to answer my 911 call. However, don't worry his union bosses will protect him and his job. He give cops a bad name. If you can't handle the stress of the job then get a different job.

Oh give me a break. This Police Officer is a man. A human. Sure it would be inappropriate for him to make such comments on TV, but this poor guy was in a bar blowing off some steam. What does a guy have to do to have a private conversation with his buddies without some instigator wanting to take advantage of an intoxicated man. This is ridiculous. Leave the guy alone.

That is such BS and rlwellman Weather he knew he was being taped or not it is his civic responsibility to serve and protect thats what he gets paid for ... My Dad is the sheriff in a small town , and would never joke about the senseless murder of anybody . What a dink !!! Hope fully the punishment will fit the crime and ...This cop will be in the unemployment line .... or end up a rent a cop !! LMAO!!

I concur. This is their job. Which human alive hasn't vented at work multiple times? Also, this is such a horrible situation to find themselves in, that to try and live a "normal" life when they get back home to their families, they have to do SOMETHING to shield themselves from the pain of seeing things like that as part of your "job." I feel it would be a natural human response to shield themselves from the scary sight a dead body is. And whoever recorded that and put it on youtube should be found and humiliated and have THAT shown around the nation so they see how it feels. =)

There is a such thing as confidentiality, and I am pretty sure that there could be a lawsuit with this type of situation.

That could have been one of MY sons he was laughing about and I could have been the mother who had to identify the body of my son who this cop just took a post mortem picture of. His behavior stinks and he is rightfully suspended. Blowing of steam in a public place about how you violated the rights of victims and their families is a lousy excuse for what this guy did. Let him go work for one of those raggy tabloids who pray on people like he did on the dead man and his family. Better yet, let him sit unemployed for a while. I wouldn't want this guy on the streets supposedly protecting me and my family.

he may have needed to blow off steam but that person who was dead was someone's brother, father, son. No one should be disrespected that way. The police departments have counselors and doctors for their staff to talk to if the things they see are too much. Nothing seems funny to me about anyone being shot in the head. No, he shouldn't have been video taped without his knowledge or consent, but he shouldn't have been disrespectful either. There are other, more respectful ways to let off steam.

I have had a several experiences to lead me to believe that cops can be jerks, but I also work as an entertainer in a bar and seen some perfectly good people turn bad when drunk. That's one its more obvious side-effects. I do not know this man or if he is a good person, however, I think it's absolutely riddiculous that a man's job be threatened because of something he did off-duty, while drunk legally in a drinking establishment. Were the comments wrong and offensive......yes. Is this man guilty of a crime....no. Maybe guilty of being a mean person when drunk, but from my experience thats about 50% of people. I say that if this man's privacy was obviously invaded, and the opinion of the people he works with and town he lives in may be altered for it, but if he does his job well, and good cops are hard to find, then what he does on his off time should be his business and his business alone. We have a serious problem in this day & age with being overly politically correct, and its sickening. No one can be perfect all the time, and to anyone who claims they are, I say take a look on youtube, there may already be a video of you out there embarrasing you.

Give him a break! He was blowing off steam and I can tell you IT is a way to deal. Seeing death on a daily basis for someone who is sane can drive you crazy unless you do vent.

Maybe your son needs to find another job if he can't handle the one he chose for himself. That’s like a soldier complaining about going to the field for training. Someone just lost their life, a mother just lost her child and a child just lost a parent. A killer is out in the streets and this is the time for a comedy routine by a drunk on duty officer? I understand the stresses that police officers go through every day that’s why they are given time off. I don’t think all the good officer’s out there should be punished by this one person’s actions. And yes he should be fired. Immediately.

Wow, this is just silly. I'm not a big fan of cops, but give the guy a break. I'm sure his job is pretty stressful and he should have the right to tell a joke. I'm sure that one of the only ways cops are allowed to cope with these kinds of issues are to look at them with a hint of sarcassam. They have to deal with so many ridiculos situations everyday. If they cant be allowed to crack a stupid joke, then what can they do? go crazy?

I agree with RLWellman. I also don't feel that any person at any point in time should be able to exploit another person by posting them on the internet after secretly recording them. It's all getting a bit crazy. There is no such thing as privacy any more.
If having a drink on his own time to blow off steam is a way of dealing with all the things a police officer has to deal with, there should be no problem with that. He should not lose his job.

The officer is a role model to the community and is held to a higher accountability. Even though he was blowing off steam during his personal time, is not a valid excuse for being disrespectful and irresponsible in a public place.

question one yes he crossed the line, we all do when we make light of gay people, African Americans, women and when we make bad comments about beating children. if everybody watched their mouths a little more we would all be a little better off. When we participate in gay jokes, black jokes, jokes about beating women and children all we are doing is promoting hate.
should he lose his job, absolutely not, are you totally gone, there would be a significant difference if he were in uniform and behaving badly, but he wasn't he was off duty and probably drunk. Haven't you ever done or said anything you regret when you were drunk? The person video taping ought to consider themselves lucky they didn't violate any privacy laws, in some states it is illegal to record somebody without their consent.
I am constantly at odds in public when I hear people making hate jokes and this is just another one of those situations. why should anyone care what this person said when he was not at work? do any of you stop people from making jokes against Latinos or gays? if you participate in this kind of conversations then you are all as guilty as this man is for saying what he said. There is enough of an us and them attitude created by the media that keeps normal citizens scared of police officers, this is another one of those stories that creates hate and in my opinion it is not news just a money maker for the media

I agree that this man was probably blowing off steam. It's sad that someone would tape this and put it for everyone to see. I have a feeling this is how he protects himself. If he looked at every corpse and saw the human that died, could he live with that? I don't think so. I blame the idiot who made this tape for causing the trouble. He/she needs to be stopped.

Also, this guy needs to watch how he blows off steam. Maybe he should rethink about how drunk he gets. He may have deeper problems with alcohol than just blowing off steam.

Was it inappropriate? Completely. But who has not said or done anything inappropriate while intoxicated at a bar with friends. Unfortunately, he has had to witness things that I don’t even want to know about. Maybe this is his way of dealing with it. The victim’s family would never have to have been hurt by this moment if someone hadn’t displayed it on internet for all to see.

It is a very scary world we live in where every action and statement can be photographed, videotaped or recorded for permanency. Maybe Orwell wasn’t that far off. Just instead of the government it is the court of public opinion watching. I am not sure which is more frightening.

the actions of some police officers never surprises me. the fact that he joked about it doesn't mean he's blowing off steam. there are ways to do that w/ out joking about a dead body you found, joking when a mother has to go and identify her dead sons body..........something parent sobviously don't look forward to doing....the sane ones anyway. after seeing this video, i wouldn't trust him at all. even if he were to remain a cop, i'd have a hard time taking him seriously. and just because he "puts his life on the line for us everyday" doesn't mean his actions are justifiable. i guess the cops that beat people sensless for no reason and the US soldiers that have been accused and proven of murder and rape of innocent people, and their own, are justified too cause they put their lives on the line everyday. so do a lot of people. joking about a dead body is immature, childish, and inhumane and he should atleast be given desk work and demoted.

I feel that the cop did take it to far, he did not carry himself in a professional manner, I'm sure that if he needs to blow off steam or discuss his line of work that there is a place that the precint he works for have a psychiatrist or shrink that he can go and talk to. I feel that he had an audience and he continued because of that, there is a difference when needing to discuss a matter for help, than going out publicly humiliating some one.

How would he feel if a cop took pictures of his loved one with a cell phone and then made jokes about it. Until he has to go identify the body of a loved one he has no idea what they are going through. To him now its just another dead body but when it hits home let's see how funny it is then. Hope he remembers he and anyone who brushes this off could always be on the other side of the situation.

i agree but just like a lawyer you should not talk about a case outside of work. not even at the dinner table with family

I think that police officers who see this type of thing on a daily basis probably don't see it as gruesome as we do and indeed will make light of it. It doesn't mean that they can't do their job or won't do their job , it means that they are accustomed to this and may see it in a different light and most probably need to do this to stay sane. Unless you do their job I don't think we should comment on his behavior. Deep down he may be tormented but still needs to portray his strong side.

Police officers go through and deal with a lot of disturbing things and we are grateful to them for protecting our communities. HOWEVER, there is a time and a place to blow off steam, such as in a private journal or on your couch with your spouse. Spouting details of someone else's tragedy in a public setting, especially in a joking or insensitive manner, is NOT appropriate. One of my best friends is an OR nurse and she would never sit at a bar and laugh about how a patient appeared while dying on an operating table. Not appropriate, not okay... and when you work in Public Safety, you have a responsibility not only to physically protect people, but also to protect them from unnecessary added emotional anguish following victimization. I don't think he should lose his job but I don't feel bad for him that he acted like a jerk and is getting called on it. Poor judgement on his part.

Are you kidding me! This story is ridiculous. I work in a police department and see all the pictures/evidence that is collected. These guys/girls have to make light of a situation otherwise everything they deal with will be brought home with them. They do so much to protect and serve they deserve to cope any way they can.

Regardless of what anyone sees on the job, they should still treat people with dignity and respect, especially someone that has passed away. He should have known better. How would he have felt if one of the victims family members were in that same bar?????

He was off duty, he was intoxicated which probably loosend his tongue and he thought he was among friends and was blowing off steam. Was it disrespectful – yes, should he lose his job – No. Like RlWellman said the police, put up so much that would either make us cringe or ask why do we care. They care – he should be reprimanded, but he shouldn't lose his job.

To be totally honest peace officers see a number of things that would emotionally scar almost any individual, and in order to deal with that they sometimes use humor. Over the time they work the job their humor becomes darker and thus seems inappropriate. The fact is that this is not uncommon, one of the reasons why crime scene videos lack sound is due to the "improper" comments that officers somtimes make while at the scene. Though peace officers are held to a higher standard then the normal citizen, they are not supermen/women. They are everyday people who work a thankless job, one that put's their life on the line everday. it is important to remember that no peace officer is impervious to the attrocities committed by darker side of society, everyone has to deal with it in one form or another.

He should be reprimanded and warned that any further remarks such as these will not be tolerated. He was insensitive.....but....he has a
very difficult job and deserves another chance. Sounds to me like a
little counseling to deal with the psychological trauma he experiences
every day would be in order. We need to take care of these guys.

I don't care who you are but you should never make fun of someone who is dying and especially the mother who had to identify her son. How do you think this mother feels? How would you feel if he were making fun of your dying son? He definetly would not like it if the shoe were on the other foot.

I don't think that's "blowing off some steam" I think that is nothing but cruel! Do I think that he should be fired? I think he should find a job that maybe doesn't stress him out so much- Death of a loved one is not funny by no means!

Lose his job? No way. Be suspended? No. Blow off steam with people he trusts and not with the general public? Yes.

This was a stupid mistake and I am sure he has more than learned from it.

Well, I agree that the video should not have been made. I also agree that police officers put up with a lot to make sure the public is protected. However, as a mother I can't imagine how the victim's family feels seeing this video posted on the internet. How cruel. Maybe he should think about that. Obviously being drunk impaired his judgement otherwise I don't think he'd have been so callous...or I hope he wouldn' t have been.

Everyone deserves respect. Everyone should have the right to decompress. But, do it in private. A public place should not be confused with a private place. I wonder how this simpleton would have 'blown off steam' and said about a rape victim. Or a molested child. Everyone deserves respect. And the right to realize 'You're On Candid Camera' isn't just a television show.

Having spent many years working in the Mental Health arena, and serving as a US soldier...I truly believe this officer had no intention on hurting anyone. His behavior is quite normal for a person managing stress especially in a traumatic situation. He has to retain a proper image in society...so when he's on the "down time" he needs an outlet. Everyone has their own way of releasing pain. I'm sure that he feels hurt and empathetic to the victim & family...now I'm also sure this idiot that taped his conversation has exacerbated his guilt.
It is unfortunate that "idiots" need to get props on youtube.

Yes, he should be fired. What a terrible thing to do.

Soooo-Eeeeeee! No wonder they call cops pigs.

Yes, cops are a necessary evil, but you know it takes a "special" kind of person to put on a gun and decide his job is going to be telling other people what to do. Most are barely public high school graduates which corresponds to about sixth grade in Europe and South America.

I can just see this guy in a couple of weeks legally arresting a pot smoker who would never do something like this, because, hey, we all know pot kills and alcohol is ok.

Losers.

I tend to agree with what the NAACP. We pay tax dollars for this so called police officer to protect and serve. He is not a stand up comic. I think he should watch what he says as his job I'm sure has some sort of confidentiality agreement. Imagine if everyone spoke about what went on in their everyday lives and were caught on tape. As a grown up we all have responsibilties. He should be ashamed of himself. Intoxication is NO excuse! The mother of the homicide victim should sue.

it's okay to blow off steam but not at the expense of someone's life being took. it's never funny to laugh at the death of another human being. would you find it funny or just blowing off steam if it was your family member lying on the ground with a bullet to his/her head twitching. I feel for the victim's mother because she has had to see the responding officer on u-tube laughing with his friends at the expense of her dead son. think of the pain this causes her everytime she see's this.

I feel this was his release. Even though it was in poor taiste I couldnt live day to day without some kind of mental issues. So I take my hat off to all of those who do this as a career, for what they see and for what they go through , that has to take some pretty tough skin and he needed to relax and let go some. To the person who taped it was out for money put that person in his shoes for a day and I bet the whole attitude would change, well he gets his minute of fame for his tape, but yet a young man who goes out day by day to help protect us and watch over us , life might be ruined cause he needed to just laugh and escape reality for a minute. I give the cop all my compassion and all my prayers I understand and hope this will be just another lifes leason and put him back out there to do what he loves, serve and protect!

He was not on duty he has a right to do as he pleases, he may be insensitive or who knows maybe it helps him deal with the day to day dynamics of his job, its very easy to be critical of some one, just because hes a cop doesnt mean hes not human, and what does benjamin jealous have to do with any of this? Was the victim black? If he was white would jealous still be demanding this mans job? As far as I can see race shouldnt have anything to do with this,and so the naacp shouldnt have anything to do with this either.

Are you kidding, you cant go out in a public place and disrecpect someone who just got murdered!!! Would you like it if he were talking about your son like that?!?! Everyone in every stressful job needs to blow of steam, but you do it in the privacy of your own home. It is just like a priest, they cannot go out and laugh about how a woman just told him they cheated on their spouse ect... there are certian professions were you are held at a higher standard and policeman are DEFINATLY one of them. SHOW SOME RESPECT.

I agree, to see things like that any person who have to talk about it and blow off steam. I am sure he was not laughing at the fact that someone died, but probably in disbelief that he had to see something like that. For someone to tape him in a casual off work enviornment is unfair, I am sure that if someone recorded them someone somewhere would take offense to something they say!

Gallows humor is a common aspect of psychological trauma, trauma often associated with the law enforcement field. Encountering and dealing with dead people is a difficult and thankless job.

I remember the first dead body I found. Even being around it was traumatic. While I did not react the way Officer Cousins did, there comes a time when you have to tell someone about your experience. Humor, even sick humor, is a way of isolating the evil, making it a cartoon you saw on television rather than something you saw yourself, because you know that just an hour before the person was alive, and if you had been there then they may still have been alive.

Officer Cousins screwed up, but we have to remember that he has, as an officer, the first amendment right to screw up that way as long as he is not talking about an active case (which as a sworn officer he would have to keep his mouth shut about).

Mr. Benjamin Jealous of course needs to make his comment for publicity, and his comment is not an unjustified assault on officer, but it is ignorant of realities. Instead of calling a private, 1st amendment protected utterance an assault on the community, he should recognize it for what it is, a cry for help that should be met by the department with counseling and understanding, and should be understood by the community as a person who is carrying our communities pain for us.

Leave Dude alone! I mean Jeez! Its not like he did it in front of the victim's family. He was off duty, at a bar with a buzz on. He didn't commit a crime. He just made an off color remark about his job at the local watering hole. Who over the age of 21 hasn't done that??? He didn't reveal any thing that could taint a jury pool or hurt anyone in anyway. His police dept. is freaking stupid for suspending him. There's no point to a suspension at all!!
C'mon people!! The point of having free speech in this country is the ability to say what you want as long as it doesn't cause harm to anyone. This man did not cause any harm to anyone. The person who recorded him did. Let's ask ourselves why....

That is very insensitive, blowing off stem or not, however to lose is job over it is a bit harsh. My dear friend is a nurse, she informed me before my surgery that doctors and staff in the operating room often ,very often make "jokes" about the patient. I am sure in many different professions that it occurs more often then we would like to think.

Agreed

I agree with you RLWELLMAN! For those who will be here later hating on this man if it was so easy then you should try it. My whole family is in law enforcement and they have to be able to get stuff off their chest . And who'd a thought the NAACP would be involved? Why are you not helping in the efforts to find the missing boy that has the mental capacity of a toddler? Gee you guys seem more racist than any group out there....and yes Im white but my man is Black. Its a damn shame you cant go anywhere and have a good time and let off steam because someone will tape you and try to ruin your life. Mind your damn business people and get a life to the person who taped this.

I think that is so stupid. The cop should be able to let off steam. He wasn't uniformed at the time. He wasn't playing the role of an officer on duty. Leave the guy alone.

Yes, they have a right to blow off steam and discuss whatever they need to BUT NOT in a public place. He can drink or not drink with family or friends in the privacy of his or thier homes. BUT do NOT dare sit there and think that he has the right to discuss and laugh about another person's death .....DRUNK or NOT....And I appreciate the police more than you will believe, but it is NEVER respectful for anyone wearing a badge or not to laugh and joke about the death of another human being. So to make my point, if your a police officer that needs to get drunk and joke about the death of someone then maybe THEY need to find another profession.

I have several officers in my family. Each one deals with the pressures differently. One see's a therapist, another drinks heavily, and the last one is perfectly "normal". This officer seems to deal with the gruesome job with laughter & drinking. Sometimes it's easier to laugh things off, then deal with the nightmares that haunt each officer. Finding a man with a hole in his head & his leg twitching is a hard thing to see – even for a trained officer. Let the man drink his worries away & try to laugh them off. As long as he's not laughing while the mother is identifying the man – so what....

His job is to serve and protect. It doesn't matter whether or not he was being recorded, let alone whether or not he knew he was being recorded. He is a civil servant who is held to a higher standard because the public has to know they can trust us. An officer's behavior, both on and off duty, must bring credit to him/herself, their unit and their organization/service; that goes for military, police officers, firefighters, etc. Did he cross the line? Yes. That was disrespectful and does not facilitate any manner of trust. That he would do that, be that disrespectful of the deceased and his family, that embarasses me.

He should not lose his job because he didn't know that he was being taped. He was at the bar, hanging out with his friends, blowing off steam. Plus he was drunk too so he didn't know what he was saying. Who taped him anyways? Was there secret cameras watching him through out the whole bar?

I have to agree with the previous comment regarding the extent of stress a police officer encounters day to day..
While what he did was inappropriate, he is human..and apparently blowing off nervous energy in the form of humor while intoxicated.

A reprimand is in order, but certainly not expulsion from the department.
Let the man breathe, preferably at home or in the presence of his companions privately. I imagine he has learned to watch his p's and q's publicly from this much exposure..
Don't we have much larger battles to wage with our limited energy these days..

Why even take this much time to expose one whom is attempting to uphold our peace. While we sleep in ignorance he is exposed to the awful realities we like to turn out head from releasing us from exposure, or worse responsibility.

Let the boy learn from cause and effect, now lets get on to find real predators that deserve an article like this one alerting us to greater awareness..and personal responsibility.

I agree with RL Wellman, Cousins shouldn't be the victim of a buddy tapping his down-time remarks or jokes...I'm sure Cousins has done more good than harm out there!! and really, think about it, what kind of friend would put THAT on YouTube? Not a very good friend!!! nice job, buddy!

Hey RL Wellman

Gaurantee your sons lying right to your face when he says he gave mouth to mouth to a homeless guy ! No way think about it for a second. Get beat on by women.... C'mon ! They are so gun ho and drunk on authority they generally and almost always can't wait for a reason to beat the crap out of you, pull their gun & tazer the crap out of you.

What if this jaggoff patrol boy was taking a picture of you dead son with his cell phone & laughing about your sons twitching leg to a bunch of strangers ?? Little different then huh ?

As a father who was in the DEA for 31 years and a mother who had high security clearance at the Nevada Test Site I am familiar with people knowing things that aren't the most common. As an officer you are allowed to need to blow off steam but you are also expected to be responsible with it. What if that family was in the same bar "blowing off steam" because they found out some horrible information. As an officer of the peace you are required to be responsible with information. That is the bottom line.

Obiviously your not paying attention to what is being said in the article no one is saying he can't blow off steam but what he did was unethical and he did not act professional at all he has to be held accountable for his actions he was responding to a murder and making jokes about a victom does that seem like someone who is upholding the law and protecting us NO he is immature and should not wear a badge of honor he did nothing honorable.

Totally agree with the person above

I'm a psychologist who works on scene with police and fire fighters. The things they see on calls, the stress they go through, and the decisions they have to make cannot be comprehended unless you've worked as a first responder. Humor is often the healthiest way for these men and women to cope with what they go through on a daily basis. While I can appreciate how insensitive the humor may seem to others - and I do remember being shocked by it when I first started working in this field - I have come to understand that finding humor in the otherwise disturbing and depressing calls they face is necessary so that they can come back and do it all again tomorrow.

bankers talk about the bank, let cops talk about cops stuff.

Since you joke about bad news stories, you should be fired as journalists.

Whether he was intoxicated or not, you don't make fun of people who need help. How can you possibly joke about a murder suspect, or the mother who had to identify him?

He should resign immediately. He doesn't have the emotional maturity to handle the job. By the way, alcohol simply helps you "loosen up" your tongue and mouth – the thoughts are already there.

I have known a lot of cops. NONE of them would sit in a bar to 'blow off steam', and behave the way this officer did. If he needs to blow of steam, he needs to do so in a more private setting, among his peers...not among the general public, where his comments are (correctly) interpreted as 'entertaining' the patrons. He wanted laughs, and he got them – at the expense of the family and friends of a man who died.
Officer Cousins, a public servant, should be asked: How would you feel if another officer was doing this, and it was your MOTHER who was the butt of the jokes?

he should be fired!! someone's violent death is not a joke !!!

Whoever videotaping him had no right to tape him in a private conversation. If he is talking to one of his friends about his experiences, that is his business not the general publics. Now, if he said that to the media or on the record, then I can see punishing him. I am a war veteran, and even though some of the people I saw getting killed made me sick, one way Marines dealt with the stress of seeing death was to make fun of the outcome of firefights. Leave this man alone and stop invading his privacy.

My whole family are feds or some law enforcement. It takes a toll on them. The things they have to deal with on a daily basis is overwhelming. I this guy should receive a slap on the wrist for the public's sake. But if I were his sergeant I would not reprimand him. People need to vent. especially in there profession.

What the officer saw was traumatizing and the police department needs to step in with some mandatory therapy. He's obviously using several inappropriate coping mechanisms to try to deal with it. 1) He's getting drunk 2) He's trying to find any outlet he can to talk about it 3) He's trying to make light of what he saw as a means to deal with it. Don't be fooled into thinking this guy actually is ok with what he saw and thinks it's funny. He doesn't and that's why he's trying to drink it and joke it away. He needs help!

Freedom of speech. Would it make any difference if the victim was/was not a minority? I don't think he went too far, comedians share worse and get paid for it. Personally, making people laugh while having a beer is better than fighting. Finally, we know only that this off duty officer was having a time of laughter and someone filmed it. What do we know about the rest of his life? I pity the fool that would fire this person for doing nothing illegal!

What if it were your child? Would it be okay for him to joke about the death of your child? I don't care what kind of stress he or anyone else is under there is no way that it is okay to joke about the death of someones child!!!!! The people in this country have to stop making excuses and stand up for moral fiber. It's ok not have morals any more because we are just blowing off steam because of a tough job or whatever is going on in our lives. No one put a gun to his head and told him that he had to be a police officer. As a police officer there are ways to blow off steam. I have two generations of police officers in my family and they are appauled at the behavior of that this officer,"and I use the word officer loosely", displayed. Also, who drove him home after a night of drinking? I know, I know, his friend did. Yeah right!!!

I agree with RLWellman. I think my office job is stressful and do need to blow off steam sometimes. Police Officers have to be pretty tough people to deal the things they deal with on a daily basis. Thank God somebody is willing to do it. If he needs to blow off steam, he should be able to without fear that someone will be offended. Some people need to quit being so sensitive and acting like babies. It's ridiculous.

Maybe your right, officers/rescue personnel/doctors and medical workers and others do need to blow off steam. To a certain extent. But there is a line and this officer crossed it. The victim could not control some random person taking a picture of him then showing it off to strangers, so why does this officer get defended that he should not have had video made public of him joking about the murder victim? Not only would that be traumatic for the family, but also violates laws in place to protect privacy rights. If he needs to blow off steam, he should have gone through the proper channels. Just because the victim is no longer here does not mean his rights dont exist anymore.

First off a well trained officer should not be photographing a crime with his personal cell phone. Police need to not make their reputations anymore subject to scrutiny than they are now with some of the recent debacles around the country. And finally how did this intocicated officer get home the night of the video I sure hope he was not driving drunk!

This is a reflection of job stress. This is not professional, but not grounds for dismissal. If everyone who was caught on camera lamenting about work there would be even higher unemployment. A lawyer or a teacher or a doctor doing the same thing would be criticized for breetch of confidentiality and could possibly be sued. Tell him to keep his mouth shut and cut him some slack.

I believe that this officer has little or no feeling for the plight of people, which I believe should be present in ANY public servant, especially if they carry a gun.

I was a police officer for 14 years and the one thing that troubled me when I first start was how lighthearted some officers seemed to be at grusome crime scene and auto accidents. It seemed that the more grusome the scene the more jokes cam out of it. When I finally mention my concerns to my supervisor he explained to me that is was simply a way for them to deal with the scene and not let it get to them so they could do their job. Well I never really got that act down and still to this day 10 years after leaving the force have scenes in my head that haunt me. I will tell you this, I have the toughest of officers making crued jokes at a scene break down and cry when it's over. Dont just a person till you have walked in their shoes, we all deal with things in our own way. I am sure everyone ready this has had a conversation or have said some things they would not want recorded and air on the internet.

I agree with Wellman If you watch the TV shows ‘Law Order’ or ‘CSI’ they also have to make wise-cracks (if you will) just to make it through. When you are in that type of job environment, you face everyday with some type of drama, or death. If you do not laugh at some point, you will crack.
At least he was in a bar not on the job at the time. It is not as if he was in the present of the family members. He did show some respect.

"Blow off steam"??? joking about a dead man and his mother having to identify the body is now called "Blowing off steam"?

RL – I know more than my fair share of police as-well and I agree with you that there should be a place where they can blow off steam. That place does exist and is called the precinct or the shrink. The problem here is not so much that he decided to joke about it. I know for a fact cops do this on a regular basis especially amongst themselves, it is in fact a sort of therapy to get out in the open the things they encounter on a daily basis.....however doing that sort of thing in a bar where regular folk possibly someone related to or a friend of murder victim can hear your jokes is inappropriate. should he lose his job over it NO, should he lose his job for taking a picture of it with his cell phone YES

As a firefighter and EMT, I have seen and heard a lot of joking and laughing after a bad call. It is one way that some people cope with the devastation seen time and time again. I have done the same and it is a release – maybe doing so in such a public place is not good, but I can't fault the cop for what he said – Walk in his shoes just for a day!!!

Is joking about a dead man shot in the head and joking about his leg twitching and joking about his mother having to identify the body..... is all that really called "blowing off steam"?

Its a shame that we have to be aware of folks filming us but we do and he shoud have thought about his words before he spoke them. I do understand that police have a very stressful job, but lots of us do streessful jobs. If he doest like it or can't hang then get into another profession that does not care over into his private life. You know the drill –a police is a police at all times. Had someone in the bar broken a law i am sure he would have put that police hat on really fast and arrested the person, so keep the hat on when talking about your job. HE gets suspended without pay for a few months and then some sort of training for public awareness. MY diatribe thanks for the time.

i DISAGREE STRONGLY!!! Were that your family member he was joking about you'd find it less funny I'm sure. Part of being an offical of society is that you see things that we as a public do not want to see. I get that their job is grueling and difficult, I mkae jokes about my job and he can joke about his...he can joke about a drunk guy that pee's on himself or a crackhead thats trying to bargain with him...but to joke about something of that nature is trwisted and distrubing. I don't feel safe knowing that someone like that has a badge, that officer obviously has very little regard for human life. I know police officers and I know the ones that cry when they have to see a family member identify their loved one. This man should be ashamed of himself and for thinking this is ok....you should too.

I think that he should be forced to resign. This event was someone tragedy. And here he is laughing and joking about it. It's insensitive and he should face the consequences. I think that if he was left on the force that people would have serious doubts in his ability to maintain a professional attitude.

Sometimes cops need to laugh and make jokes about things so they don't go crazy. The officers did not make the comments at the scene in front of family he made the comments off duty amongst frieds. The person that filmed him and put the film out for everyone to see should be more worried about the idiot who shot the man in the first place. Others at the bar thaought it was funny, who knows the person that filmed it may have been one of them. Sometimes people should mind their own business. None of us are perfect. No he should not lose his job. Think about all the inappropriate things you as an individual may have done, did someone threaten to tke your job?

For anyone who has never worked in law enforcement, emergency rooms, or jails, this seems a callous and disrespecful scene. Having worked in all of these venues I can tell you that letting off steam like this is one of the few things – some turn to drink or drugs – that allows us to go out and do our jobs.

Try getting the picture of when you responded to a three year old girl who was hit by a car and dragged for 25 feet out of your thoughts. Sure a dead body with a twitching foot is not funny if you define funny in the terms of Jack Black or Will Ferrell but sometimes "funny" is the only way to describe something that terrifies us or makes us question ourselves.

Cut the cop a break – would you put on a uniform and gun and walk out the door everyday for the people in your community? Yeah, I did but I doubt if many of the whiners out there would.

Yea I totally agree RL I mean they have to deal with some of the most disturbing stuff on a daily basis and do not get nearly enough credit. Some people deal with situations in their own way I know when I get faced with things that are difficult to get passed I make a few jokes to make myself feel better. And this guy was drunk and he's a cop just talking about his day of course they are going to talk about some pretty crazy stuff from time to time.

The last thing we need in our society is more cops like this. Maybe he was just blowing off steam, but we live in the electronic age where nothing we say or do is sacred. We have to be more careful. If he's going to blow off steam in that manner, he better be talking to himself. I don't know if he should lose his job; it depends on his record. He definitely needs to GROW UP! Maybe a little sensitivity training wouldn't hurt either. You all know very well how HE would react if this was someone talking about his family member who died.

Let's just be honest here, i work in the healthcare field where a minor slip of someones information could lead to way more consequences. I think personally police should be held to the same accountability as healthcare professions because if I was on the other end of that spectrum I wouldn't like my information becoming public knowledge through standup. No matter how you justify it, you wouldn't want anyone making fun of your circumstances no matter what it is.

Right on RLWellman. People respond to grief and trauma in many different ways. Some laugh. Some cry. Some kill themselves. It is not likely this officer was joking to be malicious, but rather he was probably using humor as an escape mechanism. With all the atrocities the police witness every day, why can't they be allowed to vent in a situation where they should be allowed some private time? If joking is his way of relieving the stress, so be it. When he comes to help me, I hope he shows up without any excess emotional baggage.

Absolutely inappropriate I fully support the police and what the men and women do for us everyday and risk for us as well but that is not a caring compassionate man. Who could joke about a mother identifying the body of their dead child.?Yes they need to blow off steam but with rerspect and dignity to the people in the community and there fellow officers. I am apalled that anyone would defend this behavior and the poor victim to be remebered like that .... what a shame that people can find this acceptable. Shame on you..............

I don't think he should lose his job over this. Maybe get an apology from the guy, but not fired. Everyone complains, and comments about their job all the time, his just happens to be not a rainbow and butterfly type job. People deal with issues diffrent as a medical person ive heard some of my co workers say similar remarks. Do i think they are evil? no Do i think they treat that patient any diffrent than others? no. As long as he does his job, which is not an easy one and ofcourse be more careful on where you blow off steam he should keep his job.

Geez. He should not be fired for this. Not even punished. He needs to be reminded that people are watching and listening all the time and its best you don't say in public anything you would not want repeated in public. And I think he sees that now. He didn't make the comments to the family, friends or acquaintances of the deceased. He meant no harm, had no malicious intent. Is he insensitive? I think so... but that is from a person who is far too sensitive to ever do the jobs that cops are forced to do. I probably wouldn't find coroner humor very entertaining either – another job I couldn't do. A drunk guy at a bar talking smack about his job isn't newsworthy even if it is secretly recorded and posted on YouTube.

I think it was in poor taste but as long as he didn't reveal the name of the victim or details. Maybe the way he works things out from his job is to put it to humor. I am not saying this is right or that it is healthy but officers see alot of very awful things and people need a way to decompress! I work in the medical field and we discuss often tragic things or off beat cases not make of of the individual but for us to process what we see everyday. Yes sometimes there is laughter because you just can't believe what people will do to themselves! I didn't see the video so I just commenting on the story.

Taking a pic with his cell phone to display to others was not blowing off steam...it shows a man exercising poor judgment. Drunks usually act like idiots and this guy is no exception. Would I want this guy to answer my 911 call???? NO. Being a police officer was an honor in my family...from great-grandfather, grand-father, dad, brother & uncle. We heard some funny stories on dumb criminals but the real serious stuff was not joke material. James Cousins is the joke now...RESPECT is a 2 way street. but I'm sure his mother still loves him.

It wouldn't have hurt him to keep his mouth shut, he should show some respect afterall, someone just died. I understand the job is stressful, but there is a time and place to blow off steam. If it was my loved one, I would be very angry and upset. If he did not mean anything by what he said he should apologize to the family.

I can understand blowing off steam with all the stresses polices officers endure. But describing a crime scene to vent and then making fun of the vitim's mother identifiying the body are not the same...not to mention taking pics on your personal camera for show later is not part of letting off steam...thats just plain unethical...i am also related to a police officer, RL WellMan...and they would never joke about the vitim's family members having to identify there loved ones body...i still can't undestand how you call that "letting off steam"...and i am sure other police officers out there do not feel or act the you think and the way this officer behaved...

Its ok to blow off steam but be respectful to the dead and others around you that have to hear you joke about some one who died. Not everyone wants to hear this or you could blow off steam at your house or a friends house. People are so direspectful and police officers should be a role model and be intoxicated in the public is not such a good role model.

RL Well man:

Thank your son for protecting his community. We recently had an officer this year shot in the head, and miraculously recovered. I think its going to be a rough year for our law enforcemnt.

As for Mr. Cousins:

Yes its ok to blow off steam, but laughing at someones mis-fortunes... is the definetion of the saying "what goes around, comes around" and sir you got whats coming to you. You shouldn't blurt out things like this and laugh about it. Its not right. Would you want someone laughing at you when your mom is looking over your dead body, and an officer is laughing about it. Police officers of all people should take their job seriously.

I'd be interested in knowing your opinion if this the corpse would have happened to be a loved one.

If he does get fired over this, it's going to open up a whole new can of worms... Military members and Doctors and store clerks all do the same thing. Seriously... Who doesn't sit around, bulls#%^ about their day to get rid of the steam. I personally feel the individual who video-ed it via cell phone should be in just as much trouble for violating this police officers privacy.

Regardless of him being off duty and blowing off steam, he new better than to talk about something like that. Especially if it is an ongoing investigation. Then to laugh about the loss of a human life, is totally unacceptable! I am in the Army and seen my share of horrible things. It is not a funny matter at all! Nor is it funny when a mother has to identify her dead son! He was totally unprofessional!

Stress can manifest itself in many ways. The impact of being responsible for a violent crime scene is something that most of us will never experience or understand. Although it may appear at the surface his comments to be callous or insensitive from another perspective the incident obviously had a severe impact on the officer. His comments possibly the release of pent up stress. Calling for his resignation is out of line and taking the situation completely out of context. As a society we should be supporting our civil servants and provide them with proper services to deal with trauma and stress. These heroic individuals put their lives on the line to serve and protect us and it’s our job to support and respect them.

In my opinion, he was emotionally bothered by the things he saw when arriving at the homicide on March 28th and his way of dealing with it was by joking and making fun (especially if he was intoxicated) as opposed to seriously talking about it and letting people know that he was affected by it.

Maybe instead of disciplinary action he should be required to attend counseling to deal with what he saw and what he had to deal with on the night of that homicide.

On the other hand, he may just be an arrogant police officer who has no sympathy for victims and their families. I would hope this isn't the case.

So lets get this straight, all Americans are now held accountable for things said in bars after drinking too much? Or do we only persecute cops?

How would you feel if that was your son that he was joking about??? I think he should be relieved of his duties. I don't feel that cops should walk around talking about crime scenes they have been to. How anybody can laugh about a dead person laying on the ground is beyond me. And for anybody to try and justify it is just as disturbing. What a world we live in.

RL Wellman,
I wonder if you would have the same cavalier attitude if it was your son who was the victim of a homicide and someone else was making jokes about it? Police officers are placed in a position of public trust, and as such we hold them to a higher standard of personal conduct . Officer Cousins clearly breached that code of ethics when he chose to belittle the victim of a crime in a public forum, and as such, he should be removed from the force. To allow him to remain is an insult to the rest of the law enforcement community.

Getting drunk is no excuse for joking and laughing at the circumstances surrounding a homicide. Next time this officer or any other wants to talk about on-going investigations to blow off steam...DON'T! It doesnt matter if you're being taped or not...if you're in a public place and happen to act stupid and it winds up on the internet...it's your fault!

I could understand if he wanted to blow off steam, especially if he is a cop and all. But making fun of the dead is something I can't relate to as "blowing off steam" If he were talking about how stupid some of the drunks are that he pulls over or how he'd like to punch a crack head in the face, then yea I could totally agree with him blowing off steam that way because those people committ crimes but talking about someone who was SHOT and killed and laughing about the fact is not ok nor is it something i'd like to hear a cop saying. As a matter of fact it kind of makes me mad.

Officer Cousins' behavior was disgusting. He mocked the mother who had just lost a child. It sounded as though he found humor in watching a man die. He did not preserve the dignity and respect the rights of individuals, as I believe he was required to take an oath to do. In my opinion, intoxication is no excuse, and he should willingly or nonwillingly find another line of work. God Bless the family of the victim this police officer had no respect for.

My opinion is that is not a way to blow off steam.. I believe that everyone deserves respect and its very disrespectful to make fun off someone that was murder and at that also talk about the mother that had to identifie her sons body. That is so disrespectful and uncalled for, how can that be a way to blow off steam? By laughing at someone elses misery. How about if that was your family members body that was being made fun off? There is many ways to "blow off steam" without disrespecting others and keeping your job at it..

These guys have to deal with stresses most of us don't. The guy screwed up and said something insensitive and stupid. So what. To anyone who really thinks this poor kid should lose his job over it, I'd like to follow you 24/7 with a camera for one week and see some of the stupid things that come out of your mouth. This is ridiculous.

people often hide their grief in humor. The fact that his comments were in poor taste should not be the deciding factor as to whether this officer is discharged from his position...his livelihood. He should be afforded the same rights to privacy as anyone else.

It makes me sick to know this officer acted this way. By the way he was acting this is not the first time he has ran his big mouth.This job is done to help people not make fun of any thing that he has come across on his job.The comment made he needs to blow off steam well if that's they way to blow off steam i say get a new job.People know what this type of job is all about before they go into it so spare me the excuses .I think any officer should be fired for this kind of conduct period.

This cop is a piece of trash. You NEVER make light of any situation, I don't care how difficult your job is. Three of my uncles are cops, one is a homicide detective, and they have all seen their share of gruesome crime scenes. None of them were funny. The whole story was not told here. The cop took the picture because the victim was laying beneath a sign that said "Take it to the head". The victim had ironically been shot in the head. I don't see the humor in this and this cop should have the decency to respect the dead. So what if he was being taped. I'm glad it his behavior was bought to the forefront. And on another note, who drove this drunk cop home that night?

This mans comments were in bad taste. But joking about something, even if it is in bad taste, is not against the law.

He is so wrong for what he did. I don't think he should lose his job but he def needs to offer a sincere apology to the woman who lost her son. Does he have kids? Could he imagine how it would feel if some drunken cop joked about his son who just died? I don't care if he was drunk or not, he has to be held accountable. I just dont think he should lose his job over it.

I don't think anything should happen to him...Doesn't this fall under Freedom of Speech?

I'm sure he feels bad enough that it was recorded.

"black" or "dark" humor is the only way to get through some things. Will some people find it offensive? Absolutely. But it IS necessary to deal with some really hard things. Most people would not find cancer, alcoholism or mental disabilities funny. But it helps my sister and me get through our lives and dealing with e realitiesin our lives. The 'situation' is not funny – but there is always something to somehow lighten the realities so you don't go crazy. I think this police officer used bad judgment. But I also think he will be more aware of these things in the future.

I agree with you Wellman. Police officers have extremely difficult jobs and have to handle alot of things that the majority of us couldn't or wouldn't want to handle. It does seem insensitive for him to joke about someone's death, but it might be the only way he knows how to cope with seeing such horrific things on a regular basis. I don't think he should lose his job, I think the department should provide mandatory counseling for all of their officers to help them deal with the ugliness they see everyday.

I also agree with RLWell man. As someone who has spent the greater part of 20 years in many facets of medicine, including working EMS and in the Emergency Department, I have seen some stuff that would cause some people to cry out "PTSD!!" You can either internalize it and let it develop into something like an ulcer or a psychiatric disorder, or you can joke about it. Humor has been used for years to try and reduce the impact on the human soul and it does not always mean a lack of empathy or humanity. I don't think that this officer was being intentionally unsympathetic; I think he just needed to vent in a safe way, rather than going and beating his wife or kids or possibly hurting himself. I am also tired of these "amateur videographers" with thier cell phones trying to capture their own 15 minutes of fame.

These guys need that time to blow off steam. Having a dark sense of humor is sometimes required to deal with what they see everyday. Lay off. People do not need to make this national news. Get over it, people make comments about bad things that happen. My husband is a Fireman/EMTI and if he was not able to make a joke to help lighten the serious situations he is in I can't imagine the kind of man he would become. Don't judge until you are in his shoes!

I agree. Here the guy is at this grusome crime scene, how could one not be affected? I thought the same as RLW, the guy needed to blow off some steam. Not for just this but for what is likely to be a lot of pressure building over time. Whoever took the movie should be jacked up for invasion of privacy. He/she is probably just some YouTube goon that lives for nothing more than posting on that site.

Wellman,
Theres a time and a place for officers to blow off steam obviously this was not right.. Had that murder victim been your son you wouldnt be defending the officer. All officers realize they will witness gruesome crime scenes and abuse because it comes with the job. However they have other outlets to let their stress out or blow off steam. He belittled the victim and his mother and showed no respect for human life. We cant blame this officers behavior on the Erie Department nor on how other officers behave. However he should be held accountable for breach of condidentiality, like taking that picture. Hopefully the lesson here to officers is that they are careful when letting steam off and that they do it in an appropriate way because you never know what the consequences to your actions can lead.

Even though I think it is tacky, if he did not name names, and he did not divulge confidential information, he should not be punished. I have seen newspaper articles give out such details that are often times wrong or misquoted, but just as damaging and they never loose their jobs over it. For example, a friends sister was killed in front of her house by her husband with a hammer; the local newspaper said she was cut up with an axe. Same thing in my opinion.

I can understand people need to blow off steam and vent about their jobs. I just don't believe he meant to brag or joke about it. It's sad he came up on that event and then was drunk enough to talk about it. Nothing is an excuse and I can only say, if he came up on my loved one, and talked about it, I would be offended. I can't say he was at fault but it just comes to show, everyone is watching or listening. Drunk or not, people are being held responsible. I'm sure the guy needed to talk it out. At the same time, he needs to do it appropriately! His responisibility is 24/7 to take care of us and our personal lives. It's their (policemen and women) to come to our aid in the worst time possible. I would appreciate a person to have some kind of bearing when I can't control what's going on!!!!

I believe the officer was venting. I know I would have to find some way to cope if I had to put up with all the officers do. Also with seeing dead bodies of crime I don't know how they cope with it. I believe the officer was venting and intoxicated. It is too bad that some idiot took a movie of it. Show that idiot the dead body and see how he reacts and what he does to cope.

Having been part of interesting situations while deployed to Afghanistan, we humans have to react in some way, in order to deal with the adversity. Alot react with humor and story telling, and that is exactly what this guy did, and in a way, it is the therapy that allows him to continue to subject himself to such an obscene set of circumstances that is his daily life as a police officer. Let him continue to be an officer. He should be punished, simply because he should know better. The bar is not the appropriate place to do what he did, but it does not warrant him getting fired, simply because he is getting off his mind what is a crazy situation to experience.

He absolutely did not cross the line. He was not on duty wearing a uniform. He was at that point just a guy relaxing with friends. This whole thing is ridiculous. Do you think doctors never make jokes about their patients? Give the guy a break, he puts his life on the line everyday for people he does'nt know. Instead of busting his chops, we should be thanking him.

The way police officers hands are tied and criminals rights advocates make their lives a living hell I think that this man should be thanked for putting his life on the line and asked if he needs some counseling for the horrible crap he has to put up with on the job every day. A couple of beers and a chat with friends doesn't compare to any of the criminal behavior he has to deal with on a daily basis. Give the guy a break!

First of all,if thats what YOUR son chose to do then everything you just described as making the "average" person throw up-your son chose to make as his calling-as a civilian or "average" person-I would be horrified and would likely throw up if the cop who just left a loved ones murder scene, was then drunk off his butt at our local bar,making funny about it.How much more offending is that?Blow off steam at your own or maybe even a fellow cops house. In the safety of your own home you should feel ok about laughing hysterically about the mans legs twitching-maybe even having a good laugh about him losing control of his bowels!!But not at the local watering hole..

Is what this officer did that bad?? No, but a whole lot of other people are loosing their jobs right now through absolutely no fault of their own. Cities are struggling to keep people employeed. I think they should fire this officer... that way someone who does have a sense of ethical responsibility can keep their job.

They should have just let it be. I can't imagine having to mentally process the gruesome scenes that our policemen have to process, and I'm sure making light of it helps them deal. He was also obviously with friends, intoxicated, and in no way realizing he was being videotaped. I don't think he meant any disrespect to the family, because I don't think he intended for them to hear it. Give the guy a break, and whoever posted it on YouTube should be ashamed because it serves no purpose. All it does is hurt the victim's family and hurts someone who goes toward danger while we run away.

why is this officer suspended with pay that just doesnt seem like a punishment to me at all. Really what message are we sending his peers by suspending him WITH PAY.

Joking, even inappropriately, is a coping mechanism for people in this line of work. I've worked with law enforcement and emergency responders for a long time and sometimes its the only way they stay sane is by "joking". It's very easy for someone on the outside to judge behavior without ever being in a situation. He shouldn't have to explain his personal conversations when he's off the clock. Give him a break!

These are one of those stories you read and it hurts you deeply to hear such a thing. I am also someone who has a job where people depend on you to protect. Meanwhile, their trust in me is imperative in me doing my job. With that being said I firmly disagree with the previous comment. I agree to disagree with RLWellman. I feel that he could have handled that alittle better, fine you had a few drinks but giving up details on a HOMICIDE CASE. Not only give up details but also do it in a joking manner and laugh about the situation. In my own that shows lack of respect, no discipline, no shame. Please inform the public when this young man apoligizes for his behavior, I think we all would like to hear that. Regardless what type of case it was you would that the person coming to your rescue wouldn't go around laughing at your situation and taking it upon himself to make you the butt of a joke. This deeply disappoints me.

Most of us would agree the comments were crude and harsh but this is someone who deals with all kinds of horrific things and as long as he is appropriate, respectful, and professional while he is with the victims family and at the crime scene, I think he should be allowed to deal with this however he needs to. He was obviously not trying to make this a public statement and he was venting to people he trusted. Who are we to judge when we could never dream of what he sees everyday.

I think that he would deserve respect as an officer if he really cared about the people he serves every day. If he is drunk, as this video indicates, than what is coming out of his mouth in drunken stupor is what he really thinks about the homicide victim and everyone involved. If this is what he really thinks about his job, then he is sadistic and clearly unfit for the honorable postition as an armed officer. He should'nt be talking about his job in public at all! The privacy of the victim's family has been invaded. My question would be; How would you feel if you found a video of a drunk officer blabbing about your deceased relative all over the internet?

Being the wife of a detective, I agree with the previous post. Cops see and act on things that are unimaginable to the rest of us. They MUST be able to find humor or some type of stress relief in their positions or they would be brining it home to their families. My husband is a great person but he does find humor in things that make me want to cry or throw up, it is his way of dealing with it. If you start punishing them for this you will eventually have to punish the entire countries' police officers. He was not in uniform and not on duty. Give the guy a break after what he goes through he needs it.

RLWellman, I was originally going to say otherwise, but after reading your comment and thinking about it more, I have to agree with you. Being a police officer is undoubtedly tough on a person's psyche, and without a way of blowing off steam, repressed fears and anxieties have the potential of doing great harm. I think you're right in saying that he should have a place of relaxing without having an idiot capture it on camera. I realized also that there are lots of things I say in confidence to my friends because I'm stressed out that might not necessarily be appropriate taken out of context.

It's another sad day for white America the majority of the officers put on the streets are racist little child molesters. They beat their girlfriends and wives because the badge protects them. But you know I would love to be there when his wife or mother has to ID his body or maybe even his childs body and let someone capture this sporting event on camera and mock his family while they're mourning. And then have a party in his dead family members honor... Yeah you punk!!! I hope it comes true................................

I agree completely with R.L. Wellman. The officer wasn't trying to broadcast his venting he thought he was among friends not people who would betray his trust with a cheap shot like filming him for youtube.

How would you feel if it was your son's body he was making fun of? Or if he was making fun of how your wife was when she heard it was your sons body? Just because 'they help society' doesnt mean a thing. Before he took a job as a police officer he should of thought about how his personal life would be affected. I dont care how drunk he was or how much attention he craved he had no right to make fun of deceased ppl like that!There are sooo many crooked cops out there that dont deserve to carry a badge or work for the government. I HOPE HE LOSES HIS JOB!!!

He looked right at the camera and repeated his schtick TO the camera and when busted ....drove to the brother of the film maker and threatened him if the video was pulled from public display.

Mocking and blaming a victim and/or hysterical sobbing family is modus operandi in Murk-istan, the world was watching Murki-stanicals' gleeful mocking commentaries of our murder victims in the manufacturing a legacy wars to enrich political donors

.... those blown up babes, elderly and any of the victims received no dignity from our Murk-istanicals in their endless public display of inhumanity ....and in fact, our Murk-istanicals were upset our murder victims photos when published - because no one was laughing but themselves.

What makes one think that ilk doesn't have the same lack of humanity for their own citizenry?

correction:

drove to the brother of the film maker and threatened him if the video was NOT pulled from public display.

Police, Teachers, Doctors, Politicians, all of their lives are put under microscopes and become public domain anytime they do something. They are people like the rest of us and should be able to live like the rest of us. We can't expect them to be on the "job" 24/7....they don't get paid enough for that.

We see all of these things in movies and laugh about it....and this guy is out their actually telling a story that is true...so what. Let him get it off his chest, if that is the way he deals with it. I couldn't do what he does...

What's next....Police can't go out and have a drink cause they might get drunk and say something that is viewed as incorrect....where does the sensorship stop.

Hope things turn out ok for him.

He didnt know he was being taped but that gives no excuse for his actions. How would you feel if it was your son laying there shot in the head and the cop made those remarks. He should be suspended without pay for a time, then when he gets back on the job, he should be on probation for a while...Cops do put their lives on the line each and every day, but the ones who act like this one make bad names for the rest.

I am not sure how I would handle the day to day violence people submit to each other: Would I cry? Would I become depressed? Would I, in my depression, become suicidal? Would I go out and get drunk and act stupidly- because there is nothing else I can do? I don't know. If this man, this police officer, is an otherwise exemplary officer, then he needs counseling to better deal with his job, if not, then he needs to be reassigned. He should not resign nor should he be forced to resign.

typical u should defend a cop and not understand it was totally wrong.

Are you kidding me? My brother is a police officer also and I feel for the stress they have to experience. But "letting off steam" is a disturbing excuse for how he acted! What if that was your son that he was talking about? If he needs to talk to someone then it should be a counselor not your local bar patrons!!!!! How completly insensitive! He should be fired at once! He has no place in community service!

Yeah he should be able to blow off steam, but not at the expense of someone's dead son, brother, or whoever. You don't do that. That is so disrespectful. How would you like it if someone in your family was murdered and a cop joking about and laughing. Please....... you got some nerve.

Having worked EMS for the better part of 14yrs, yes, cops and other public servants need to "blow off steam" from the emotional occupational hazards the job entails. Having said that, when one works for the public, it is not just from 9 to 5, it's all the time. Many more people know you than you know them. Consider the next time you call for an ambulance, the paramedic caring for you or your loved one may be the same person you saw vomiting in the bathroom at your local bar the weekend before. What would your level of confidence and respect be for that individual then? By all means, blow off steam, just do it in the company of those who share and understand the agony that comes with the position you hold..

To RLWellman...making fun of a deceased person, no matter if you are a cop or not, or intoxicated or not is unhuman and very disturbing. It doesn't matter where you are or who you are with. I think the officer should be laid off because by looking at the video i don't think he is the right person for the job.

What this cop did was sick. This cop was out of line. He should lose his job and never be in law enforcement again. This is like the story of the cops who shot a women who was protesting and later it showed the cops all laughing about it. What if a person was joking about a dead cop and laughing because he was dead? Then the story would be different.

I agree with the previous poster. Police come out the losers no matter what; they can't blow off steam, they are expected to squelch the adrenaline rush caused by some bonehead putting other people at risk and then denying culpability. I think, as a whole, our law enforcement community should be lauded for incredible self restraint. They are held to standards that the people who scream the loudest wouldn't have a hope of maintaining.

In referance to the article above about an intoxicated police officer blowing off steam. Is a good thing which comments of a homicide victim should have been stated at home behind closed dooors. Not out in the public eye. I have been a police officer for 26 years an I have always been told while out in public do not do anything that will embarass the department or in the newspaper. Now its you tube. I do not condone the officers actions but in the future he needs to watch out what he say's or does because now he is in the spotlight until another officer messes up big. The referancing of a homicide victim of what he saw was in bad taste because lets just say nobody did place this on you tube. A member of the victims family could have been present at the bar and overheard the statement and took offense to it and filed a complaint with the local police dept, It would have prettyy much ended up the same way. I also want to say that a person videotaping the police officer at the bar was also in bad taste. The individual could have taken the video to the police station and showed it to a supervisor who would have rectified the situation. I just think this individual was looking for his 5 minutes of fame.

For someone to film/record him it gives me the impression he's known for running his mouth too much and inappropriately. Someone decided to show the world how he is. We already know not much is going to happen to him–he's white and it will get written off as "boys being boys". A suspension without pay is called for but it's just a vacation for him, not a punishment. He has NO CLASS and deserves to get stung real bad for his disgusting behavior. Somewhere along the line he forgot he's constantly representing police and he's let them down.

Blowing off steam is one thing, but joking about a mother identifing her deab son is cold and def crossing the line. Also taking a picture of the dead body with your cell phone...Crossing the line. He should not say or do things that he would not want to be recorded regardless of the fact that it is or not. Is it ok for the cops to beat or kill someone an innocent person for no reason just because it not on tape no...is it ok to make jokes about someone being killed ..policeman or not..on tape or not..never. only differnece now is he can not deny it because it is on tape and his true character has been brought to life.

I am so tired of people saying...they lay their life on the line everyday for us...blah, blah, blah...BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People forget that, they choose to do that, so they should expect to see things like this. If they can't handle it like a civilized person then don't be a cop! I am not a cop because I don't want to risk my life for other people, and I certainly don't thin khe deserves any special behavior because he chose that line of work. If you choose to be a CEO then expect to work long hours and travel, if you choose to be a trash truck driver then assume you'll be picking up trash all day. It's not rocket science if he chooses to be cop then deal with the job description. I HATE COPS!

Is this any different that nurses or medical records clerks talking about a patient that just left...going through there chart and talkng to another co-worker, friend or family member about someone that serviced earlier? No, its not.
Does it excuse him in this case? No, probably not. He went too far when he brought the victims mother in it and admitted to take pictures of the dead victim.

His behavior is terrible here but not worthy of being fired, especially under the circumstances in which it was observed.

A hard working person just can't get a break these days. I suppose Mr Jealous would hire an African American and displace another outstanding caucasion individual?

A lot of cops talk about their brushes with cases like this. Maybe not in the immature light that this officer was speaking, but they do. I have known officers that have shared stories of tragic deaths they have come upon during investigations, but they tell the stories I think to cope with what they see. As for this guy.....I really think he should keep the talk out of the bar scene and share with only close friends as not to offend anyone or hurt the family this happened to, but we shouldnt judge this mans entire career because of one drunkin night and loose lips. He should have some sort of reprimand, but I don't believe this is something he should be thrown off the force for. He should take this as a lesson learned and apologize to those he offended. The person with the video should be ashamed of themselves as well because no one would have known if it wasnt for that video- It is unlawful to video tape someone with out their knowlege anyway. The person that took the video should be held just as accountable as the cop.

Why is he a racist??????the article said nothing about the race of the victim.. plus, think about all the soldiers, i could just imagine the stories of the young kids who come back from Iraq. I doubt that when an event happened they thought it was a joke, but how else are they supposed to deal with the horror, HUMOR maybe??? If he didn't name names, and didn't get specific, then it could a GENERALIZATION of an event.. i doubt the people in the bar knew the victim personally or his mother, so how is he being disrespectful... Always the typical people out there who complain about everyone that puts their lives on the line for us everyday. .they are the ones who are to afraid to do the job, but criticize others who do it.. you put yourself in danger for your community or country and then submit your comments..........

I think that what he did was wrong. He would be upset if it was his friend, brother ,sister,mom or even dad that someone was making fun of as they passed away . I think it was TOTALLY wrong, blowing off steam from work or not , there are other ways of doing that then getting loaded and making fun of other peoples dead family members. I think he needs another job title than a cop. Maybe JERK!!!

yes, what this man said was very wrong and i wouldnt want someone talking about my deceased family member that way, however im certain he had no idea the family or anyone other than his friends would hear his comments. the person that should feel the most guilt should be the person holding the camera and putting it on youtube. this has blown up because of that person. i am positive everyone reading this has said things they shouldnt have, only you didnt get recorded and put on the internet for the whole world to pic apart your every word.

You are called in the middle of the night to identify the body of your child. Whether he is a drug dealer, prostitute, thief, does not matter. What matters is he is your child. Your reaction is mimicked foolishly in a bar by Officer Cousins and it appears he is getting all the attention he needs, at the expense of your son's death and your reaction.
Furthermore, Office Cousins refers to your son as putting a tie on a turd, and laughs at how your son got shot in between the eyes.
Clearly, Officer Cousins did not pay attention during the moral and ethical and racial diversity portion of police training classes.
Even more, this most likely is not the first time he has made a performance like this, it just happens to be the first time he got "caught".
There is a fine separation between an Officers duty to protect and his time to be a citizen. Clearly, he has the right to vent about daily work. But I did not see venting. Venting is blowing steam over being upset. Officer Cousins was making fun of a terrible situation which has now tarnished the reputation of his department.
If this officer was in Philadelphia, he would be getting ready to face a serious beat down both from whites and blacks.
It is unfortunate for the victims mother; it is unfortunate that Officer Cousins has a lack of respect for citizens of Erie; and it is unfortunate, that he is about to be unemployed, and used as an example of how NOT to act, when you serve your community.

In referance to the article above about an intoxicated police officer blowing off steam,is a good thing. But comments of a homicide victim should have been stated at home behind closed dooors. Not out in the public eye. I have been a police officer for 26 years an I have always been told while out in public do not do anything that will embarass the department or wind up in the newspaper. Now its you tube. I do not condone the officers actions but in the future he needs to watch out what he say’s or does because now he is in the spotlight until another officer messes up big. The referancing of a homicide victim of what he saw was in bad taste . Now taking photos of a crime scene is okay if you are going to use them as evidence or place them into the case file. But taking a photo on your cell phone is in bad taste and uncalled for. It doesn't matter if you are african american, white or any other race. If you mess up you need to accept what comes down the pike. A member of the victims family could have been present at the bar and overheard the statement and took offense to it and filed a complaint with the local police dept, It would have pretty much ended up the same way. I also want to say that a person videotaping the police officer at the bar was also in bad taste. The individual could have taken the video to the police station and showed it to a supervisor who would have rectified the situation. I just think this individual was looking for his 5 minutes of fame.

First off blowing off steam is totally different then sitting there taking pictures of a dead person that was MURDERED!!!!!!!!!!! I mean what was the sense of that I think he is as sick as the person who killed the person he was taking the pics of! And YES he should be fired not just sitting at home on paid leave!!!!! He should be out looking for the persons killer instead of making jokes.....

Have all you people who are okay with what this cop did COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN that he TOOK A PICTURE OF THE DEAD MAN'S BODY WITH HIS PERSONAL CELL PHONE?? Let me say that again...HE TOOK A PICTURE OF THE DEAD MAN'S BODY WITH HIS PERSONAL CELL PHONE.

How quaint, now he can always go back to look at the picture and laugh like he did in the bar – remembering how the man's leg twitched after he was brutally murdered and the anguish in his mother's face as she had to identify him. Great way to blow off steam...

Now wouldn't it be a shame if one of his fellow officers brains were blown out, I took a picture and someone filmed me laughing it up in the bar talking about how "SAD" it was when his mother had to identify his faceless body??

there is no absolute on this. my son was a law enforcement officer and the stress involved with horrendous crimes is unbelievable. most LEO's make comments in order to keep their sanity. it is always painful for those who loved the victim to hear these kinds of things.
but keep in mind that both parties are in grief. the officer who deals with these grieves for the victim and for the loss of life and decency that these kinds of cases show. it is a matter of venting. not unlike medical personnel.
who took this video with what in mind? how much did they get paid for it? their motives need to be examined here also. i do not believe it was done as any sort of public service but rather to gain monetarily or for notireity. very sad.

I don't think he should be fired, maybe be reprimanded and issue a public apology to the victims family. I do believe that he should be allowed to blow off steam but choose a right time and place. Also the person who taped him with their cell phone should have had enough balls to stand up and tell him that he was being taped and given him the option to stop.

In referance to the article above about an intoxicated police officer blowing off steam,is a good thing. But comments of a homicide victim should have been stated at home behind closed dooors. Not out in the public eye. I have been a police officer for 26 years an I have always been told while out in public do not do anything that will embarass the department or wind up in the newspaper. Now its you tube. I do not condone the officers actions but in the future he needs to watch out what he say’s or does because now he is in the spotlight until another officer messes up big. The referancing of a homicide victim of what he saw was in bad taste . Now taking photos of a crime scene is okay if you are going to use them as evidence or place them into the case file. But taking a photo on your cell phone is in bad taste and uncalled for. It doesn't matter if you are african american, white or any other race. If you mess up you need to accept what comes down the pike. A member of the victims family could have been present at the bar and overheard the statement and took offense to it and filed a complaint with the local police dept, It would have pretty much ended up the same way. I also want to say that a person videotaping the police officer at the bar was also in bad taste. The individual could have taken the video to the police station and showed it to a supervisor who would have rectified the situation immediatly. I just think this individual was looking for his 5 minutes of fame.

Isn't it illegal to film someone without their knowledge?? I know you can't record phone calls without letting the other party know. My brother is a police officer. If they didn't have some kind of outlet, they would lose their minds. I can understand the family being upset, I really can, but obviously the victim was involved in something that cost him his life. That is not the officer's fault. And, when you deal with this kind of carnage every day, you have to let go somehow. Personally, I think that whoever made the recording should be charged with something.

Please people remember that these are seriously tramtic events to see. This officer was blowing off steam. this is a coping mechanism and it needs to be left there. If he bottle this up and never vents he shoot himself or others...... LET it go. He didnt hurt anyone nor was he rude to anyone in need at their time of need. Lets focus on the cops that are stopping people going to see someone dying in a hospital and showing no sympathy or the ones who break the laws.

The voyure needs to be held responsible for taping this man as an inavsion of his civil rights as well.

Police officers put there life on the line for us everyday. This officer clearly made a mistake. I think he should be punished for his actions. But I also think he should return to his job afterwards. My dad is a dallas Police officer and the things I hear is out of this world. Maybe the man was under stress and that was his way of venting.
You all need hearts, what if it was your son???? HOW ABOUT THIS, WHAT IF YOUR SON WAS THE OFFICER??? YOU WOULD BE SINGING A DIFFRENT TUNE. ALL OF YOU.

I'm so sick of people ALWAYS saying "the police have a hard job" I have a hard job but it's what I decided to do as an adult. I graduated from college and choose my profession. Cops know what they're getting into when they sign on for this job. It's the profession you've chosen as an adult not a mandatory one. It's not a "sit around and look pretty" job but you know that going in. I'm sick of them complaining and whinning about how hard their job is – get over it OR get another job that's not so demanding or "so hard"! This cop was out of line how would he like it if someone bragged about someone killing his loved one. I know several cops that were outraged by this video. And you wonder why people (especially young people) have NO respect for cops anymore? Just so sad!

NO HES NOT OUT OF LINE! When you have to deal with this crap everyday Come see me and tell me you haven't developed a dark sense of humor to deal with it. ENOUGH WITH THE NAACP TRYING TO GET EVERYONE FIRED OVER WORDS! Al Sharpton and Groups like the NAACP breed hatred and resentment.

Whats this say about the person putting it up on youtube.

Sit without pay or unemployed as you put it....What a joke he is home doing nothing getting paid!!!!....last I checked tax money payed our police departments and well I dont want to pay for him to sit at home after such behavior. I would hope he NEVER has to identify a loved one. They are suppose to have Standards (so to speak) That is horrible of him. FIRE HIM NO UNEMPLOYMENT!!!!!!!!

Anybody ever heard of freedom of speech? I myself have seen dead bodies. Comes with the profession of having to go to war. I have joked about the things I have seen because they are gruesome and weigh heavy on your concience. I understand some people get offended very easy because mom and dad spoiled them so much when they were younger. But the thing is this is American and we have such rights of freedom of speech whether it is good or bad. I don't tell you to shut up when your talking about your cat fluffy having to go to the vet to get his thing clipped while I'm eating somewhere. Everybody needs to remember the freedoms this country has and if you don't like it well then I say go to an Arab country where they don't have many freedoms. You might feel more at home there. Now back to the cop. This might be things he should say around friends behind closed doors or somewhere where their isn't such nosey people around. Maybe a letter of reprimand or if you do this again there will be consiquences for your actions. But to put a man out of work. Isn't our economy bad enough? Isn't the unemployment line long enough? All I'm saying is don't cut off a hand just for stealing a candy bar.

I see that there are alot of insensitive people out here and that is even more scarier than what this officer did. People please STOP trying to justify what was done because it was just plain W R O N G. For every situation that we put ourselves in there is a consequence. This is not a normal reaction to his job and b4 he is allowed to return to his job he needs professional help and any others that feel that this is ok.

I have grown up in a family of police officers and this is not how the police are suppose to act. He is making the men and women of law enforcement look terrible. I have seen my father and uncle's after dealing with many homicides and never once was their reaction "Gee that was really funny". This man has serious mental issues and needs to be not only taken off the police force, but put into a mental hospital because I view him as a danger to society. And to think he is suppose to be protecting these people! Disgrace to law enforcement!

the case was still open don't they have laws that protect victims. And where to blow off or vent how about a damm psychologist! i am sure its provided!

I see a lot of comments about it being illegal to film someone without their knowledge....do you know how many clips there are of people out in PUBLIC < key word people...and didn't this cop take a picture of the dead victim with his camera phone...I'm surprised nobody found that distrubing. Try losing one of your family members or any loved one and then find out a cop, nonetheless, took his own personal pictures of them for their own amusement. I'm not sure what I think what the outcome should be, I don't believe he should be fired but I do think maybe he should be taught on code of ethics.

He definately should not be fired. He was drunk. Not pretty but true. These guys have to get it out somehow and he did not intend to be taped and did not post it himself. During my Army career I heard many drunk soldiers joke about things that they had seen that were horrible. They too needed to get it out of their systems

we all blow off steam, tasteless tibits of our day, someone is always at the butt of all daily gossip. grant it there is a time and place and this wasn't it. because he is in the public eye he should as we all should keep our mouths shut. to record and post someones conversation on line is disgusting. i don't like what the police officer said but, he is allowed freedom of speech, is he not? this world has become on big flat screen.

He was venting and they need to in order to keep their sanity, but in public and drunk was not the place to do it. Hopefully he never said the actual name of the victim, that would be even worse. He needs to be reprimanded, due to privacy issues, but not lose his job.

If a police officer's only method of blowing off steam involves photographing the victim and laughing at grieving relatives, that officer probably needs to find a new line of work – there is no excuse for that kind of behavior from a professional, regardless of what they have to go through in their day to day job as a cop.

First of all, he probably didn't get permission to be taped and be plastered on youtube. Maybe thats more of an issue. He is a cop, you have to joke about this stuff or they would go insane. Stop making such a big issue about every little thing. Take all this energy and apply it to something that matters.

The issue here is that this officer chose to "vent" or "blow off steam" in a public place. Whether or not he knew he was being recorded and whether or not he was intoxicated is irrelevant. He was in a public setting where no assumption of privacy can be expected. Anything he said or did was open to being seen, heard or in this case, recorded by any other patron in that establishment. He may not have intended harm in his words and actions, but he does need to learn that there is a time and place for everything and a bar is not the place to say or do what he did.

My problem with this is RESPECT....respect as a human being, for a human, for your job, community, etc....he was dead wrong for blowing off his steam in that fashion. He knew just what he was doing.

If the job is to much, find another....he seemed to be enjoying himself telling the story and to take photos at the scene, before he even had a drink was already in his thoughts to do this...NO EXCUSE...Find another job and be happy.....

Here is the real problem. NAACP (National Association of Always Complaing People)

If the person killed were white and a black officer made comments about the victim would it gain this much publicity?

No, I don't think so.

Who really cares anyways?

As a cop for almost 18 years I have seen alot. I know that dealing with tragic events can take a toll on anyone. Unfortanatly most officers do use humor to cope with the day to day stress of the job. It isn't that we don't care about the public that we serve but you can only see so much until you go crazy. There is no feeling to describe having to talk to the parents of a dead child no matter the age or the events surrounding the death. You cry behind closed doors, you find laughter in any thing that you can. It is really the only way to survive. Just because we have a badge and a gun dosent mean that we are super human. We deal with the unthinkable so the majority of the people in the world doesnt have too. We don't ask for special treatment or anyone to praise us and we do it for what seems little or no money at all. And as for most people they are glad to see us when they need help, but curse us and fight with us when they are in the wrong. I cant say that what this officer did was in his best judgement, but I know from standing in his shoes that it is tough to deal with the facts of the job. He may be a great officer or he could not be. But cut him a little slack. Until you have to personally deal with something of this caliper and live with it day in and day out you really don't know what we go through as police officers. I promise that it is nothing like what you find on TV. And on the ones who recommend counseling, I feel that is a good ideal, but what department in the US can afford to pay for such services. We have a hard time getting the money to operate the department and provide services to the public as it is. No one wants increased taxes to pay for such a cost. It will be stated that the stress is just part of the Job. Deal With It!!!

No he was wrong, what ever happened to privacy acts. Im sure when he was sworn into duty he was given a guide book on policys. An i dont believe it said anything about discussing crime at a bar,he should be fired and ordered to payback from when they put him on leave

As a police officer, this person should have known better than to "blow off steam" in the way he did. He never thought about how his photographing the body or "reenacting" the scene could harm the criminal prosecution of the murderer. He should have. In regards to the video, while it would be nice to get permission, courts have repeated ruled that there is no expectation of privacy when one is in a public place, especially for "public figures," which include politicians, celebrities, government officials, people who've been prominent in the news, etc. That includes police officers.

I can't believe that anyone would ask the question, "Did he go too far?" There's no question that the officer CLEARLY went too far. I can't believe that anyone would think that he didn't go to far, or that what he did was acceptable. It doesn't matter what profession a person belongs to, making insensitive statements about a person's tragic death is offensive and appalling. Yes, police officers risk their lives on a daily basis and see things that most of us cannot even dream of seeing. However, that does not excuse his behavior. What about a confidentiality policy? Aren't officers supposed to keep quiet about what they see on the job?

This goes beyond being insensitive. There is absolutely no question in my mind that this officer is RACIST. I would bet all of my belongings that if the victim was a white person, he would not have been joking. To me, there is nothing scarier than a racist cop.

This officer makes me embarassed to be a Pennsylvania citizen. He also makes me embarassed to be white. We're not all insensitive, racist, oppressive fools.

I have no doubt that policemen see things that are not pretty; but it takes a "special" sick kind of person to even think about taking a picture of someone dying whose leg is twitching. For what purpose?
I would think that someone would try to forget not remember.
When something like this becomes"funny", maybe it's time to move on to another career

I agree that he should be able to blow off steam. I don't think taking a picture with your cell phone and making comments about the victims mother is blowing off steam. It seems he thought something about the situation was funny and worth retelling. Well here's his 15 minutes of shame.

I completely agree with Anthony and Mary! I don't really care if he was blowing off steam! That was not the way to do it or go about it!!! How the hell would he feel if it were someone that he loved or held close to his heart?? Would he react the same damn way? Would he take pictures too or laugh when the mother (God Help her) fell apart seeing her son??? What a jerk! It will come around to him full circle, do unto others and you would want done to you!!!!!!!!!

It always amazes me that so many people think it is acceptable for police officers to get away with just about ANYTHING, because they have a hard job. There are millions of people out there that have hard jobs and they don't behavior in such a disgusting manner like some of the cops we hear about today. Cops do an extraordinary job and they should be held to an extraordinary standard. The reason so many cops do so many inhumane, uncaring and sometimes illegal things, is because there are so many people out there that want to give them a pass. If police officers think their jobs are to hard for them to handle, they should QUIT. If they can't behave in an acceptable manner that any grown adult should be able to behave in, they should QUIT. Also, for the idiots that think he should get a pass because he was drunk, "a drunk tongue tells the thoughts of a sober mind"

of course his comments are disrespectful, no one can deny that. but for all of you saying that he should lose his job over it, think it over...have you never been out with friends, thinking you were having a private conversation, and made stupid comments that you might later regret? he didn't know he was being taped, he wasn't performing for the camera. he was stupid, and he should apologize, and hopefully next time he will think twice before he opens his mouth. and to say he should have been prepared for this sort of thing when he became an officer – i am not sure what you can do to prepare yourself to see a dead body, but i don't think it's something you just get used to.

the real question here is:

If the victim had been a young white female child, would the officer still feel the need to poke fun about the child's legs twitching and would he still fill the need to take a picture at the scene and would he still fill the need "To blow off steam" at a bar and boast to everyone about how funny it all was and then poke fun at the mom's reaction to first seeing her dead child.

ENOUGH SAID! It was a black man not a white child, so I already have answered the question

Blowing off steam is right, though of course people are going to take offense. Just read all the postings above! We all have our opinions and I respect that. I have experienced loss many times before, and would have been angry as well, but this incident should not have made headlines. I try to understand both sides as well as I can, but this should not have his morals come into question. Of course taking the picture was rather morbid, but that does not make him a crooked cop. As for who he should speak to, I have had to speak to a theripist but sometimes I find more solace in a friend than a stranger.

Though held to a higher standard, he should not be exploited.

This officer was not too smart speaking about this in public, loud enough for people to tape it on their phone and play it back clearly. But, studying criminal justice , many of my teachers told us students that the only way for some officers to deal with the day to day scenes of death and such, is to crack jokes to smooth the situation over a bit for their head. This officer hurt many people, but it wasnt ment to be posted on u- tube. I feel this officer is prob going to loose his job over one person taping him in a drunk stuper with his friends, blowing off steam. He deserves another chance, he should apoligize and be able to move on.

Lol. ok, for all of the sheltered individuals out the who have never experienced anything like this guys situatuion their whole lives. Shut up, you know nothing. If you said something against this guy in a comment then your definatly not a cop, firefighter, or emt. if you say you are then your lying. So, once again you know nothing of his situation. Who really cares what he said? Did he show the picture? Did he say a name? No. This is how peaple in this line of work cope. If you think he should be fired then you might as well fire all cops. They all do it. Besides he was in a bar and drunk. Should he be a robot and show no emotion when handeling cases. No hugs for the orphans, injured, raped, battered, or sympathy for the disabled. Just do the job and write a report. Yeah you would apreciate that wouldnt you. This guy is human and as long as he does his job in a prof. maner when he is in uniform I say let him be.

Yes...it was unprofessional, unethical and ignorant of this officer to act in such manner. If he was intoxicated and depending on whether he is a problem employee, I would say "no" he shouldn't lose his job. I would, however, make him give a personal apology to the family and others at the bar and suspend without pay for a period. At least it gives him something to think about.

He shouldnt loose his job because of what he said , he should loose his job because of what he did, taking a picture of the dead person with his cell phone was wrong. As long as we live in America he can say what ever he wants, but we are taught as young children is isnt nice to look apon the dead, that means taking pictures for no reason.

YES, his behavior was unprofessional on the highest level. As a police office he is obligated to show good judgment at all time. If he can’t control his behavior on his own time how can the public except him to show control it on duty. After this incident not even this colleagues will trust him. (He obviously wanted to be the center of attention, well he got it.)

I am repulsed by this officer’s action, he is a representive of the law and he is out discussing and making light of this tragedy. I have lived long enough to know that this is a glimpse into this officer’s heart condition and I think it presents a problem to him being able to really protect the public. Should this officer loose his job? Yes. How can this officer be trusted to protect the public. This officer was drunk rambling and joking about something that is privileged and protected information as it may relate to a crime, he should loose his job because he’s in a bar full of strangers discussing an active open case that should be enough for this officer to loose his job…A note to BRENTW get a education, learn how to construct a proper paragraph.

As a police officer myself let be just say it doesnt matter if he knew he was being recorded or that he was intoxicated. Yes its true us police officers deal with the worst of life but its the life we choose. Helping people in there worst of times is just what a police officer does. I love what I do and know the diffrence between good and bad. There's a place to vent and obviously a place not to. Venting in your own home with a family member = good. Venting to strangers in a public place = bad. I do though believe the officer did cross the line but I also do think he does not deserve to lose his job, a suspension yes. I obviously understand what the officer did was wrong, however the one thing most of us can agree on is that witnessing an event such as a possible homicide "that of which isn't very common most areas" would be a very tramatic expierance. Also most of us have hard of something called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). We don't know the officer personally and unless we can all say we do and that witnessing a possible homicide wouldn't fall under being stressful. I dont think anyone can say. If it were up to me I'd put the officer in therapy for PTSD and suspend him untill he finished.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. What this officer said "OFF DUTY" cannot be held aganst him. It would have been one thing if he said it on duty, in uniform in front of cameras etc..........

Police often use humour as a coping mechanism, we do this to deal with the things we see on the street that no one should be made to see.

Take it in that context and leave this officer alone.

Cops, Fire Fighters, EMS workers, Medical field....this happens everyday.

And we talk about it. We have always talked about it. And we will contine to do so.

If you don't work in this type of enviroment you would NOT EVER understand.

But not once is disrespect ever intended.

The person who did the secret video, that person is the one messed up. The ones who sneak around in secret...thats the sick one.

So, now our secret is out, people in our field, we are a different bunch. And if we want to say something about it WE CAN.

Because we ARE the ones who handle the gun shot wound to the head.

The teenager who hung his self.

Dad who killed the family and then him self.

Mom who OD'd.

Grandma who was beaten and murdered.

Sister who was raped and cut all to hell.

Your friend who slit his wrist.

A man who is drowning his son in front of you, high on PCP, and though you have hit him with a pipe and shot him twice, he still can hold that 2 year old underwater.

I dont see any of YOU helping. SO we help ourselves, and sometimes it takes a few drinks AND WORDS!!!

I dont care what anyone says: I SUPPORT THIS COP!!
I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

I SUPPORT THIS COP!!

Also, for those of who – who think it was wrong of someone the video tape the off duty officer in a bar. What about the man he video taped with consent don’t you think he deserved the same privileges and respect you want extended to the officer.

Totally unacceptable!!!!
1. Who laughs at someone who is on the ground dead? THIS COP
2.Who laughs at a mother ID her son? THIS COP
I would never want to call the police and have him come!! Suspesion with pay.............................he needs to feel the blow. Take his money away,then he'll feel the pain the family feels. I work in the medical field. It's not funny!! People come in to my dept sick,disturbed ,overwelmed. If I feel like I can not help, I am burned out,I don't care...................then I need to find another job!!
It's quite disturbing to read these responses. Why, is it acceptable for someone to speak like this act like this and people think because of the type of job he has it's should be excuable? NO, if your not able to stomach your job find a new one. If your not able to have respect for your job,Find a new one. If I were the mother I would DEMAND he be fired. No training can take away the extra heartache .

OMG is this man Benjamin Jealous serious??!! I support this cop. He was probably just making a statement. Maybe is way of dealing with it was making a small joke. Give me a break. This man puts his life on the line everyday for people like Benjamin Jealous and he wants him to stop being an officer. Please this guy Benjamin needs to get a life and stop worrying about others.

The harsh judgments expressed here are disheartening.
As one who works with people in difficult, private, and often extreme situations (medicine), I know how lonely it can be. It is rare to find someone who can listen to my stories of my experiences no matter how benign. People do not generally like to hear about bad things that can happen. In fact, I can usually rely only on colleagues for an ear. And yet, some folks egg me on to tell them about things they find shocking or amusing; a popular one being what objects I have had to remove from rectums and what excuses people give for them being there. Most agree that this is amusing but, I can tell you, it is not; it is dangerous, tragic, and horrifying for the affected person. IN SHORT, perspectives are different depending on which side of the service counter you stand on.

If this officer gives no information that identifies the person he is speaking of, he has done nothing wrong.
His behavior in this random incident gives absolutely no information about his professionalism while at work.
If it is his attitude or the fact that he is drunk-in a bar-is objectionable to you, then, to borrow-judge not lest ye be judged.
Cops are only human and cannot be anything more and do not deserve these attacks.

The officer was OFF duty. You can't be a cop 24/7. How many people act just like they do at work when they are not at work? A little dark humor is just something that helps officers with the many things they come across at work. Most people talk about work. Officer's work just happens to be more interesting and graphic than most jobs. The officer was simply talking with friends off duty and had some drinks. It's not right to hunt him down for his badge. People are just quick to try and get an officer fired over nothing.

what he did isnt so terrible, who hasn't said something they shouldn't?
if my friends are at the bar and i need to vent, i should be able to go out and have a good time without worrying about the things i say coming back to haunt me. the person who posted it on YouTube should feel bad. because now everyone is aware and offended. stuff like that isnt meant to be shared with the public, it only makes matters worse.

Sick, just plain old sick!

I took the exam to be a cop after I got out of high school – since I was an A+ student taking AP classes, they refused to admit me because I was TOO SMART TO BE A COP. Despite being 6'5", being able to run a mile in six minutes and bench twice my own weight, I was still turned down. Good job, LAPD...

If you are not a cop do not comment on this. It is wrong what he did but as a cop i can tell you, you have to do something to block the horrible things you see on the field. It is not appropiate what this officer did but dont make a big deal about it, we all make mistakes. If you have not made a mistake be the first one to throw the rock!

I dont like the way the officer acted because if it was his child laying on the ground with a bullet in his head let's see how funny that is going to be. Mr. Cooper I was born and raised in jersey city, New Jersey and I have lost many friends and family and sometimes i wonder when its all gonna end. Its real hard out here in the ghetto and for a officer to make fun of some one who lost their life its wrong and I hope that officer seek forgiveness because he's mentally ill.
P.S please read this on the show I watch you everyday keep up the good work, as for me i'll keep on being the soldier that I'am.

I think there is certain things that one should not talk about or do!!! I mean what was his reason for taking a picture of this dead person on his phone!!!!! I think his actions prove that he shouldn't be a police officer, if he can't respect and protect his victims. His actions make me sick!!!!

BIG BROTHER .... Everything we do is watched and taped what has this world come to ... 10 years ago this wouldn't have even been a story!

FIRE THE LOSER!!!!

WE DO NOT NEED PEOPLE LIKE HIM PROTECTING OUR FAMILIES... OUR RIGHTS...

IMMATURE & HAS WAY OVER STEPPED THE BOUNDS!!!

All I want to say to all of you defending him...What if it was you and your son or daughter that he was making fun of? And it was reversed.