Police chief that attacked Jonesboro Sun reporter on Facebook resigns; reporter to return to paper

Just days after receiving a month-long suspension for attacking a reporter on Facebook—the Jonesboro Sun reporter quit saying she feared for her safety—the police chief of Jonesboro, Ark., (Wikipedia map) resigned, saying "he was stepping down to take responsibility for his mistakes," Steve Barnes reports for Reuters. Former police chief Mike Yates said in his resignation letter, "I let my anger and pride override my wisdom and judgment by saying a number of things that are unacceptable given my position."  The reporter, Sunshine Crump, will rejoin the newspaper, its editor said.

Referring to Crump, Yates wrote on Facebook: “Wonder if ole Sunshine could pass a drug test. Why yes, she has been arrested before,"  "Pro-dope smoking, law license revoked, left wing liberal, smelly, arrested by police, unscrupulous reporter," “Reminds me of a song . . . ‘ain’t no Sunshine when she’s gone’ etc," and “Dealing with ole Sunshine is like trying to pick up a dog turd by the ‘clean end.’” Yates, who also attacked the paper, saying “I intend to help that ship sink . . . torpedoes away!" defended his comments by saying they were protected under the First Amendment. (Read more) 

Social media has gotten another police chief in hot water. Eddie Adamson, police chief in Chickasha, Okla., (Wikipedia map) resigned last week "following an outcry over a video he shared on Facebook that was captioned with a racial slur," reports The Express-Star in Chickasha. The city had asked the police chief step down after people complained when he shared a clip from the film "Role Models" where actor Paul Rudd was ordering a drink at Starbucks, with an addition from the original poster above the clip that read, "How a real (racial slur) order Starbucks."