Fresno Cop Put on Leave After Being Spotted at Proud Boys March
‘EXTREMELY DISTURBING’
A Fresno police officer has reportedly been put on leave after he was spotted at a Proud Boys march over the weekend. The Fresno Bee reported that the cop was identified in a YouTube clip of the protest. After the video was flagged to the police department, Chief Paco Balderrama launched an internal-affairs investigation and the officer was placed on paid administrative leave. His policing powers have been suspended. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who served as Fresno police chief for 18 years, said: “These images are extremely disturbing and are being taken very seriously... I will not tolerate any city of Fresno employee belonging to organizations that promote views of supremacy, racism, or criminal conduct.” The newspaper named the cop as Officer Rick Fitzgerald, but his identity hasn’t been confirmed by the police department.