Missouri police officer investigated after bragging about spending his 'Michael Brown bonus’
The officer appeared to be bragging about his overtime pay from policing Ferguson protests
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.St Louis County police are investigating after an officer reportedly bragged about spending his "Michael Brown bonus".
The officer appears to be referring to extra money which police authorities receive due to working overtime for extra shifts during protests in Ferguson to mark the anniversary of Michael Brown’s death.
Mr Brown was fatally shot on 9 August 2014 by a white police officer, sparking debate about police brutality against black people in the US.
The Guardian reports that Officer Todd J Bakula, who goes by the name of TJ Thekoola on Facebook, posted photos of him and his wife enjoying a day out. He wrote: "I decided to spend my annual Michael Brown bonus on a nice relaxing bicycle ride trip to Defiance.
"Eating dinner now and staying at a bed and breakfast tonight."
St Louis County police confirmed to the Guardian that Mr Bakula is a patrolman with their department and said that they would be investigating his comments.
"We understand the post is controversial. The St Louis County police department takes these allegations very seriously in every case. The remarks on the Facebook page will be investigated by our department."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments