The Buffalo, NY officer who was disciplined over his humorous Vine videos that went viral is back on the job, but he is not giving up comedy, reports the Buffalo News.
Officer Richard N. Hy returned to work late Wednesday after serving a 22-day unpaid suspension and agreeing to obey the department's social media policy, which he violated by appearing in a police uniform and portraying himself in off-the-wall situations that police brass felt demeaned the force.
But soon after going back to work, Hy posted a new video on his "Angry Cops" Vine social media site, this time portraying himself as a firefighter. "You know there is a saying," Hy says with a grin on his face. "When one door closes, another door opens." As he utters the words, Hy puts on a firefighter's helmet.
The new video, which has now been removed from Hy's Vine site, followed a disciplinary hearing Wednesday when some 50 departmental charges were dropped and Hy pleaded to one count of conduct unbecoming of an officer.
A police department policy prohibits officers from speaking with the media, but Matthew A. Milewski, a longtime friend of Hy, said the officer intends to adhere to the social media policy and will no longer make videos in which he appears as a police officer or any member of law enforcement.
"He will continue to post social media but it will not have anything to do with law enforcement," Milewski said. "He is switching to a new genre."
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Video: Buffalo Officer Suspended Without Pay Over Vine Videos