The Columbus City Council issued a public reprimand Tuesday to Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner for comments he posted online in the aftermath of the police shooting of Ricky Ball.
Turner took to Facebook and criticized Columbus Police Chief Tony Carleton’s public response to the shooting. Ball, 26, was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer Friday night. Authorities have not said whether Ball was armed. Authorities have not discussed the circumstances of the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation.
Turner, on his Facebook page, twice called for Carleton to be fired. Turner also questioned why Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem and District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks were not speaking publicly about the incident. Several of Turner’s Facebook posts directed at Karriem and Brooks contained profanity. Specifically, he called each of them a “bi***.”
On Sunday, Turner posted: “I don’t want to die they trying to kill us but you can’t listen.” Two commenters asked Turner to identify who “they” refers to you. He responded, “The police and the powers we elect.”
On Tuesday, the council voted 4-1 in favor of the reprimand. Turner voted against the reprimand. Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens abstained.
Karriem, who asked councilmen to issue the reprimand and for Turner to publicly apologize for his posts, also accused Turner of being under the influence of alcohol during the meeting.
“As the meeting has been going on today — I can smell alcohol up here right now,” Karriem said from the council table. “So I feel like my life is threatened right now. We can’t even have a rational conversation with irrational people being under the influence.”
Turner, when reached by The Dispatch this morning, denied being under the influence at the meeting.
“I was intoxicated with anger and frustration, not with alcohol,” Turner said.
Karriem called Turner’s posts an “embarrassment” and said he would have preferred Turner present his problems personally, rather than on the Internet.
“If there’s a problem Mr. Turner has with me, he can call me, or come to Helen’s Kitchen, or we can meet in an empty parking lot,” Karriem said. “However he wants to handle it. All he had to do was come by and talk to me as far as what he wanted to do. Some of the language that was used on his Facebook page was very inappropriate and offensive.”
Turner denied Karriem’s request for an apology.
“I will refuse to apologize to Kabir Karriem or any other elected officials I did bring up,” Turner said. “I refuse to apologize to them.”
Karriem said Turner’s comments violated the city’s social media policy, which was adopted in 2013. The policy forbids city employees from conduct that is “malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating, that disparages co-employees, suppliers or that might constitute harassment or bullying.” The policy further lists an example of such posts as any that might harm someone’s reputation.
Karriem mentioned that the city has suspended and fired employees for poor conduct on social media.
Turner questioned if the policy applied to him as an elected official. City Attorney Jeff Turnage said it does, adding, though that it carries little punitive weight if an elected official violates it.
“You’re not subject to being disciplined like a regular employee, but you’re an employee (of the city),” Turnage said. “I would say the policy applies to all employees. I believe it says ‘all employees’ several times throughout. Although you can’t be suspended or otherwise reduced in rank by the council, I think the policy does apply to all.”
On Tuesday after the council meeting, Turner posted on Facebook: “I really think Kabir Karriem is a bi*** now say something punk you want to meet me in a parking lot anytime. Bi*** boy.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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