Anne Arundel Co. police employee suspended for Facebook post about college student murder

A civilian employee for the Anne Arundel County Police Department has been suspended for making an insensitive and inappropriate post on Facebook about the murder of a Bowie State University student at the University of Maryland.

Police said Welby Burgone, a former police academy recruit and civilian employee assigned to the department's Communcations Section, posted a photo of a crab that appears to be holding a knife with the caption "You mess with crabo You get a stabo" in the thread of a Facebook post that contained racial epithets mocking the fatal stabbing of Richard Collins III. University of Maryland student Sean Urbanski has been charged with Collins' murder and authorities are investigating it as a possible hate crime.

Police said they were made aware about Burgone's post on Monday and began an investigation that resulted in Burgone's suspension.

"The actions of this employee are a betrayal of the values of the Anne Arundel County Police Department," said Anne Arundel County Police Chief Timothy Altomare in a news release. "Any employee who espouses or supports hateful or racist ideology will be held accountable and we will not allow the public's trust in their police department to be eroded."

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