Officer fired for physically harassing a co-worker, mocking her fear of covid-19, police say

[Demovictory9]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/officer-fired-for-physically-harassing-a-co-worker-mocking-her-fear-of-covid-19-police-say/ar-BB1ds2q0

A police officer in central Florida was recently fired after allegedly hugging a colleague against her will while mocking her fear of contracting the coronavirus — an example of how some have socially weaponized the deadly pathogen.

Longwood Police Department investigators also determined that Cpl. David Hernandez was “not fully forthcoming and not truthful” about the allegations after his co-worker filed a complaint about the July incident, the Orlando Sentinel reported.


Hernandez ignored his co-worker’s instructions not to touch her, according to an internal investigative report first obtained by the Sentinel. Instead, he followed her into her workspace while “taunting her with comments about her being afraid of contracting COVID-19,” which was surging in Florida at the time.

The woman claimed that Hernandez ridiculed her as a “germaphobe,” touched her personal items and spoke into her phone while saying that he didn’t have the coronavirus, local television station WESH reported, citing the internal document. The employee also alleged that she hurt her finger and back while struggling to escape Hernandez.