By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-09-23 19:02:58 | Updated at 2024-09-30 13:32:29
6 days ago
A 30-year Washington State police officer veteran who was previously named cop of the year was fired for placing a 'Let's Go Brandon' sticker on his police cruiser.
The veteran Spokane Police Department officer identified as Bradley J. Moon, 49, was reported to have been driving around with the controversial vulgar anti-Biden sticker on his police cruiser during the summer of 2023.
A seven-month investigation was conducted and in May, Moon was terminated for violating city and department policy by engaging in prohibited speech.
In October 2023, when his supervisors were made aware of the sticker, Moon told them he was unaware of the political implications of the sticker.
He reportedly told them that he bought the sticker in support of a fellow officer's son, a collegiate athlete, who had suffered a 'medical episode' that he recovered from, as per the report.
Spokane Police Department Officer Bradley J. Moon was terminated for violating city and department policy by engaging in prohibited speech
However, body camera footage reveals conversations between Moon and other officers contradicting the original story he had told the authorities.
The political phrase has been used as an internet meme meaning 'F*** Joe Biden,' but the sticker Moon had on his police vehicle was not as vulgar.
The phrase 'Let's go Brandon' started growing in popularity in right-wing circles in 2021 - with the seemingly upbeat sentiment actually being a stand-in for swearing at Joe Biden.
Republican Rep. Bill Posey of Florida ended an October 21, 2021 House floor speech with a fist pump and the phrase 'Let's go, Brandon!' - while South Carolina Republican Jeff Duncan wore a face mask donning the same phrase at the Capitol.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz posed with a 'Let's Go Brandon' sign at the World Series - and Sen. Mitch McConnell's press secretary retweeted a photo of the phrase on a construction sign in Virginia.
During the questioning, Moon did not give a reason to why he did not put the sticker on his own car, and just told investigators, 'I have no idea,' as per the report.
Last month, the Office of the Police Ombuds reported that Moon bragged to other people that the mayor at the time, Nadine Woodward, complimented the sticker; and that his fellow officers did not report the policy violation, as per The Spokesman-Review.
According to the report, six officers who knew about the sticker were also interviewed.
One officer claimed that they had seen several officers put stickers on department cars to make it look less like a police car, as per the report.
Another officer, and a sergeant, said he was 'aware of the derogatory meaning of 'Let's Go Brandon' toward President Biden, but did not give it much thought at the time.'
Moon pictured with his wife Amber in this undated photo
The report stated that four supervisors that Moon reported to were reprimanded for failing to address the issue when it first happened, the report indicates.
The ombudsman cited in the report that Moon had issued false or misleading statements and participated in prohibited speech, both city and department policy violations.
In January, the investigation was forwarded to the department's Administrative Review Panel and that is when they determined that the sticker was 'clearly a political sticker that damages the reputation of SPD,' as per the report.
The report further stated that 'regardless of policy, it is common sense that there is no justification for placing such a sticker or phrase on a city owned vehicle.'
'The sticker was obviously inappropriate and should have been recognized by any supervisor as a violation of department policy,' the panel stated.
'At a minimum, any supervisor should have recognized that a sticker with that kind of political messaging would be harmful to SPD's reputation.
'Not all of the supervisory failures were equal in nature, but they were failures nonetheless.'
The couple pictured in 2021
Debbie Novak, with the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, told KHQ News that 'it's really disappointing.'
'He had this on his vehicle, where everybody could see it,' Novak said. 'It's really disappointing, and I expect more out of the Spokane Police Department, and I'm sure the citizens of Spokane do.'
Moon had been a model officer when he was part of the Spokane Police Department.
In 2009, he received a Medal of Merit from the city for his work as a commercial vehicle enforcement officer. And, in 2005 was the department's employee of the year.
Moon was not available to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
