September 29, 2016
Black Pittsburgh/Facebook
McKeesport police Officer Melissa Adamson was fired after this Snapchat selfie of her using a racial slur began circulating on social media.
A police officer in a town just outside Pittsburgh lost her job after using a racial slur on social media.
The photo of Melissa Adamson started circulating on social media Tuesday, according to WTAE. The Snapchat selfie from Adamson showed her in uniform with the caption, "I'm the law today n****."
Adamson was a part-time officer who was training to become a probationary employee, according to a statement Tuesday from McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko.
"This post displays a degree of conduct and character that is far different from what I would expect from an officer in this city," Cherepko said, adding that Adamson had been relieved of her duties.
The uniform Adamson is wearing is from Pitcairn police — not McKeesport — where Adamson had previously worked, meaning the photo had likely been taken months before it went viral.
Adamson told WTAE the photo was a "stupid mistake" and added that she's not racist and that the photo is now being circulated by someone trying to exact revenge.
"An altercation happened between me and a former police officer, and he’s bringing up his dirt, ruining my career, which has been done," she told the news station.
