2 Memphis Police Suspended With Pay for Racist Snapchat

This past Thursday, 12 cops were shot by a gunman during a peaceful protest conducted by Black Lives Matter. The group was marching for justice for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were both slain by police within a few days of each other.

While that was happening, a white police officer who works in Memphis, Tennessee took to Snapchat to share a disturbing photo that shows his gun with a skull emoji aiming at a black running man emoji. There was no clear motive on why the officer posted that snap, and the officer's name has not been released to the public. Despite the lack of information, according to Fox13 the officer has been suspended with pay.

In a press release, Memphis Police Department interim director, Michael Rallings, said "The image is disgusting and will not be tolerated. I'm angry, frustrated and disappointed that we continue to go down this path. We cannot survive if we do not work together. We are not your enemy, we are your ally. We are certainly responsible for the decisions we make," he added, "And we are held to a higher standard."

There is no confirmation on if the Snapchat post by the officer was racially motivated, but many felt the post warranted more than a suspension.