NYPD sergeant is 'disciplined' for wearing pro-Trump 'Make Enforcement Great' patch on her uniform as Police Commissioner tweets 'force must remain apolitical'
The NYPD have disciplined an officer who wore a 'politically oriented patch' after a video on social media showed an on-duty sergeant wearing a 'Trump - Make Enforcement Great Again 2020' patch at a protest.
The patch, which features a stylized skull emblem originating with the Marvel Comics character The Punisher, was spotted Friday night on a sergeant at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Brooklyn.
The cop, identified by the Sergeants Benevolent Association on Twitter as Dana Martillo, also wore a second patch featuring the skull symbol popular with some police officers. Both skulls were tweaked to sport the former president's distinctive hair style.
The NYPD has disciplined officer Dana Martillo who wore a 'politically-oriented patch' while on duty at a Black Lives Matter protest in Brooklyn on Friday
The patch she wore featured the skull emblem of Marvel Comics character The Punisher and was tweaked to sport a Trump-style hairdo
'We are aware of a video showing one of our members wearing a politically oriented patch,' the New York Police Department said in a statement.
'The officer has already received an initial discipline. A further investigation is ongoing.'
Police did not detail what 'initial discipline' the officer received.
NYPD policy prohibits officers on duty or in uniform from 'publicly expressing personal views and opinions concerning the merits of any political party or candidate for public office.'
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Video surfaced of a female sergeant sporting a 'Trump Make Enforcement Great Again 2020' patch at a Brooklyn protest
Martillo was filmed at a Black Lives Matter demonstration Friday night outside a precinct in Ft. Greene. The patch plays off former President Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan
The officer was doxxed on social media as the video quickly went viral
Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted separately: 'Members of the NYPD must remain apolitical — it's essential to public trust & officers' ability to perform their jobs.'
The Punisher logo is popular among the far-right so-called 'Three Percenters' movement.
SBA President Ed Mullins said the cop should have simply been told to remove the patches.
'With all the stuff that's occurring in the city right now, we're worried about a patch?' he said.
The NYPD were quick to respond as word of the offending video spread. The officer has received 'initial discipline'
Dermot Shea, Police Commissioner of the City of New York, stated that the NYPD needed to remain apolitical
'You know how to fix that problem. You say, 'It's not authorized. Take it off.' Besides, Mullins continued, morale in the department is 'terrible.'
'Shea should be out defending his cops,' he said.
'When the Chief of the Department sends an overtly political message by taking a knee with protesters while in full uniform and on duty, it sends a clear message to our membership that political speech is permitted. I do not believe that discipline of Sergeant Martillo is warranted or necessary,' Mullins said.
'When the department imposes content-based discipline, it slides down a very slippery path toward monitoring all police officer speech, including police union speech and officers' off-duty social media.'
The distinctive skull logo was also spotted on multiple rioters during the Capitol siege in Washington D.C. last month, including a man carrying zip ties.
The logo is from Marvel's hit Netflix series The Punisher.
The signature skull has long been embraced by cops and members of the military, who relate to the fictional vigilante anti-hero and his military backstory.
The Punisher logo was seen on the masked zip-tie man, identified as Eric Munchel, wearing it on the front of his flak jacket
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