PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – A police sergeant with the Port Canaveral Police Department was fired after it was discovered he was doing target practice with Trayvon Martin hoodie targets, WKMG-TV confirmed.
Sgt. Ron King, who had been with the Port Canaveral police for two years was fired for allegedly using them for target practice.
"Whether it was his stupidity or his hatred, not acceptable," said Port Authority interim CEO Jim Walsh.
Walsh said it happened at a training exercise earlier this month. King was teaching a shooting course to other officers and allegedly had the posters in his patrol car.
The posters had a hoodie with a target on the chest, skittles in the pocket and iced tea in the hand. Th manufacturer of the targets sold out two weeks after posting them for sale online.
Witnesses said King offered the target posters to other officers.
King owns a company where he offers firearm training and personal safety coaching. He also spent nearly 22 years with the Melbourne Police Department and has been with Port Canaveral police for more than two years.
According to King's Linked In profile, he was a night shift watch commander and is also a firearms instructor and personal safety consultant.
"We are offended by this. We are outraged that one of our officers would have this conduct," said Walsh. "It is not tolerable. It is not acceptable."
Trayvon Martin's family attorney released a statement saying, "It is absolutely reprehensible that a high-ranking member of the Port Canaveral Police, sworn to protect and serve Floridians, would use the image of a dead child as target practice."