When we think of police officers, we like to think of honest, hardworking men and women who have society’s best interests at heart and act with unflinching moral goodness when called upon.
Of course, just because someone is an officer of the law doesn’t guarantee they’re a good person. Just as in any other occupation, there are nice guys and gals, and not so nice guys and gals.
Matthew Luckhurst, of the San Antonio Police Department, is certainly one of the latter. He was fired in 2016 for giving a “poop sandwich” to a homeless man, only to be reinstated to his position earlier this month over a technicality.
Needless to say, people haven’t taken it well …
This is SAPD Officer Matthew Luckhurst, recently fired after bragging about supplying a homeless man with a sandwich filled with feces. pic.twitter.com/HhFhpbKg1L
— Robert Price (@RobertPriceTV) November 4, 2016
As per British newspaper the Daily Mail, it was back in 2016 that Luckhurst picked up some dog poo, put it in a piece of bread and placed it in a styrofoam container provided by a local religious group for San Antonio’s homeless.
His intent was to pass the poop sandwich off as a half-eaten meal, one that he then left next to a sleeping homeless man who was to later wake up and possibly eat it.
Fired San Antonio Police Officer Matthew Luckhurst should be charged with attempted murder. Guaranteed this isn't the first time he's done this. https://t.co/1G5uJZz8Zt https://t.co/VYWXvnOzuA
— Nasty Woman (@HandToForehead) May 27, 2018
The response when Luckhurts’s actions came to light was naturally one of disgust, with Chief William McManus condemning what he did as “vile”.
“This was a vile and disgusting act that violates our guiding principles of ‘treating all with integrity, compassion, fairness and respect.’ The fact that his fellow officers were so disgusted with his actions that they reported him to Internal Affairs demonstrates that this type of behavior will never be tolerated,” the chief said.
“The action of this one former officer in no way reflects the actions of all the other good men and women who respectfully serve this community.”
In then, Luckhurst was notified of his dismissal on October 28 the same year.
Unfortunately, however, Luckhurst was able to keep his job over a date discrepancy technicality which ultimately was used to overturn his dismissal. He won his appeal over a part of the local government’s code that prevents law enforcement from disciplining an officer for something that happened more than 180 days before they’re disciplined.
As per reports, an initial mix-up in dates over the supposed incident, which were later proven to be wrong, opened up a case for reasonable doubt as to whether the crime happened within 180 days prior to Luckhurst being disciplined.
https://twitter.com/theamedpost/status/1110392921537294342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1110392921537294342&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flife.shared.com%2Ftexas-cop-dismissed-feeding-poop-sandwich-homeless-man-gets-job-back
Naturally, Luckhurst isn’t exactly the most popular of characters on the internet at the moment. The vast majority of people have vehemently protested the decision to allow him his old job back.
https://twitter.com/fictionfree/status/1110172993572007936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1110172993572007936&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flife.shared.com%2Ftexas-cop-dismissed-feeding-poop-sandwich-homeless-man-gets-job-back
So….let me get this right…..if WE feed the homeless, it's illegal and our food is subject to confiscation and downright destruction…..but a if cop feeds someone actual SHIT they can away with it? Ok….got it….
— adam kleist (@LetsGoTigers21) March 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/dinastavola/status/1110024160871436289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1110024160871436289&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flife.shared.com%2Ftexas-cop-dismissed-feeding-poop-sandwich-homeless-man-gets-job-back
An arbitrator overturned the dismissal of Matthew Luckhurst, patrol officer in San Antonio. He fed a homeless man a sandwich made of dog feces and old bread. #FIREOFFICERLUCKHURST
— Joy Williams (@JoyBlackgirl) March 26, 2019
Indeed, it’s difficult to accept an officer of the law being reinstated purely on a technicality. To put faeces in a sandwich and then strategically place it so as to try and have a homeless man ingest it is wrong on so many levels that I shouldn’t even need to explain them. Not to mention the fact it shows a complete lack of the morals any good officer should boast.
Please share this article if you think Luckhurst should NOT be given his old job back.
Together we can increase the heat in the hope that the relative authorities make the right decision.
