A North Braddock police officer who was reprimanded for cursing at a student on a school bus last week has been the subject of anonymous threats over the incident, leading his chief to cite concerns about the officer’s safety as a reason for not identifying him.
“Right now it’s basically a safety issue because we’re getting a lot of anonymous threats by phone and email and just don’t want to put his name out there,” police Chief Dean Bazzone said Friday. He added, however, that he did not put much stock in the threats.
Chief Bazzone also said the officer had submitted a resignation letter, but he added that the move was not prompted by the discipline against him for the cursing incident.
The chief said the officer had gotten another policing job and planned to leave North Braddock next week.
Mayor Thomas Whyel said he plans to meet on Tuesday with the mother of the student who was cursed at, along with an administrator from Propel Braddock Hills Elementary School, which runs from grades K-8.
According to the mayor, a bus driver returning from the school Wednesday flagged down a North Braddock patrol officer for help because the students “were out of hand.” North Braddock Councilman Michael Breaston said the children were throwing things at cars from the bus windows.
In a video the officer is seen walking to the back of the bus and telling a student: “You think you’re funny. Smile in my face one more time, and I’ll be dragging your [expletive] off this bus and back to that [expletive] police car. Don’t smile one more time.”
Propel spokeswoman Kelly Wall said the charter school found out about the encounter from the family of the male student that evening. She said some students were disciplined for their behavior on the bus that day, but she would not say whether the student the officer addressed was among them.
On Friday Ms. Wall refused to provide any more information about the student who was cursed at, including his age or grade.
The K-8 bus is operated by First Student under the auspices of the Woodland Hills School District.
Mr. Breaston said he did not condone either the children’s behavior or the officer’s conduct.
“My take is that officer is definitely wrong for swearing at the kid. Also the kids in the video have minor disciplinary issues,” Mr. Breaston said.
The mayor said the officer got a verbal warning.
Jonathan D. Silver: jsilver@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1962 or on Twitter @jsilverpg.
First Published: April 22, 2016, 6:51 p.m.