PROTECT AND... RESIGN?

Florida SWAT Team Steps Down, Citing ‘Political Climate’

The heavily armed officers are really, really offended that higher-ups took a knee.

In the latest example of cops relinquishing their duties amid anti-racism protests, the SWAT team in Hallandale Beach, Florida, resigned from the unit Friday, citing “the political climate.” A memo from the officers cites “command staff” taking a knee and criticism from politicians. “The risk of carrying out our duties in this capacity is no longer acceptable to us and our families,” the memo reads, according to 12News. “The anguish and stress of knowing that what we may be lawfully called upon to do in today's political climate combined with the team's current situation and several recent local events, leave us in a position that is untenable.”

The move comes a week after an elite unit of the Buffalo, New York, police department quit their special assignment amid public outrage that their colleagues shoved a 75-year-old peace activist to the ground and walked past him as blood pooled around his head. As The Daily Beast reported, there's concern police around the country could stage slowdown or strikes in retaliation for punishment of their fellow officers.