Officials: Orange Cop Fired For Comments Posted on Twitter

Profanity-laced and racially charged comments posted on Twitter led an Orange police officer to lose his job, city officials announced Friday.

Hector Rosado, 29, an eight-year veteran of the Orange Police Department, was fired for using a racial slur and vulgarities several times on his Twitter site, city officials said.

According to city officials, one message in January was particularly offensive.

"To say 'f' your employer in a public forum and mix that with racial slurs in this day and age — it is just unacceptable," said Mayor Eldridge Hawkins Jr. in a phone interview.

In a statement issued earlier, Hawkins said, "Although this conduct is a disgrace, it is not reflective of the good conduct of the vast majority of our officers."

Hawkins said he had been tipped off by an anonymous note.

An administrative hearing was held in June, when Rosado was facing charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and criticizing official acts or orders, and on Monday he was stripped of his badge and gun, Hawkins said.

A statement issued by Linda Cofer, a spokeswoman for Hawkins, stated the words "used by Orange Police Officer Hector Rosado caused his removal from duty on Nov. 7, 2011."

The comments were made "in a public chat room forum (Twitter)," numerous times.

"On the same date," Cofer wrote, "Rosado also criticized the actions of the city of Orange" in a racially derogatory and vulgar manner.

It was the mayor's decision to fire the officer after a hearing officer had recommended a suspension of 10-15 days, said Cofer and Hawkins.

Hawkins said he decided to fire Rosado to head off any potential future liabilities that may have been incurred by the municipality through the officer's possible actions.

Information from: The Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com