MIAMI — The Miami-Dade Fire Chief confirmed the termination of a firefighter who was accused of making vulgar comments about a police detective who died in the line of duty this week.
In a statement on Twitter, Chief Joseph Zahralhan said they determined Kevin Newcomb did in fact make those comments.
"We have confirmed that the firefighter in question authored a written statement using a social media platform that demonstrated a disregard for human life, demonstrated violent and antagonistic stance towards civil servants," he said in the statement.
NBC Miami reported Newcomb made the comments in a group chat on WhatsApp, writing: "Who cares another dead cop probably against gun control.
"Cops exist for the government to exercise its monopoly on violence. They want the whole world to stop when one of theirs goes down," he continued.
The comments stem from the death of Det. Cesar Echaverry, who was shot in the head during a confrontation with an armed robbery suspect Monday night.
NBC Miami also reports that the firefighter had made comments about the shooting in Uvalde, Texas and police who had died from COVID-19.
"How many idiots I had to transport with honor guard their dead bodies from coronavirus because they were all too stupid to wear masks or get vaccinated," the message read. "All cops are for is protecting the rich property owners and the status quo. Everything else is a farce. F--- the police."
In a previous statement, Cheif Zahralhan denounced the comments and said, "We want to be clear that we, as an organization, do not share the views or beliefs that we were written and do not reflect the values of our organization."
He said as public officials, the two organizations depend on one another for mutual safety and that they stood in solitary with the Miami-Dade Police. The chief added that Newcomb's comments were under investigation and that the firefighter had been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
The 29-year-old police officer was shot as he and other officers closed in on a man wanted for an earlier robbery in nearby Broward County, police said.
“Officer Echaverry died in the line of duty while serving & protecting our community,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez tweeted Wednesday evening. “Our law enforcement family will continue to stand beside & support the Echaverry family through this difficult time.”
Police said Echavarry and other officers began pursuing a white vehicle involved in an earlier armed robbery when its driver tried to flee, ramming into police vehicles and a civilian vehicle whose three occupants were hospitalized in stable condition.
He then tried to escape on foot, but a confrontation and gunfire ensued. The driver, identified as Jeremy Horton, 32, of Acworth, Georgia, was shot and died at the scene.
Horton had been stopped in South Florida on Aug. 8 and cited for having no proof of insurance and driving with an expired tag and a suspended Georgia driver's license, according to Golden Beach Police Chief Rudy Herbello.
Echaverry had been with Miami-Dade Police for five years, and was assigned to the department's robbery intervention detail. His friends told the Miami Herald he was moving up and planned to get married.