Firefighter who slammed Trayvon parents on Facebook demoted

Brian Beckmann, the Miami-Dade fireman who found himself in hot water for controversial remarks he made on Facebook about Trayvon Martin and his parents, has been demoted..

TheGrio Staff

May 15, 2012

Brian Beckmann, the Miami-Dade fireman who found himself in hot water for controversial remarks he made on Facebook about Trayvon Martin and his parents has been demoted. Beckmann has said that “sh*tbag parents” were to blame for Martin’s death. Beckmannhas now been placed at the lowest possible rank since his entry into Fire Rescue in 1997. The Huffington Post reports:

The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue official who wrote on Facebook that “failed, shitbag, ignorant” parents are to blame in cases like the shooting death of unarmed Miami Gardens teen Trayvon Martin has been demoted.

Captain Brian Beckmann, who has been with Fire Rescue since 1997, was demoted two rungs to the lowest rank of firefighter during a Monday morning administrative hearing and will be required to undergo a psychological evaluation and undergo diversity training, as first reported by CBS Miami.

Though the firefighters union said it would appeal the ruling, WSVN reports Beckmann submitted an apology to Fire Chief William Bryson, stating in part:

“I promise that I will try harder than ever to be a decent and professional public servant to the citizens of Miami-Dade County… My family has suffered tremendously and this has been punishment beyond anything I ever imagined.

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