Police: Norman officer's email violated department policy

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NORMAN — A Norman police officer violated department policy when he sent photos during an email discussion about the wear and maintenance of face masks, a spokeswoman told The Oklahoman on Tuesday.

Officer Jacob McDonough sent images from the movie "Django Unchained" of Ku Klux Klan members wearing hoods and carrying torches to about 250 department workers on May 15, prompting an internal investigation.

"The investigation into this incident has sustained an allegation of violation of department policy against the involved employee," spokeswoman Sarah Jensen said in a news release. "The process has now transitioned into the disciplinary phase."

Police Chief Kevin Foster has said McDonough could be fired for sending the images. The officer has been employed by the department since February 2018 and is not currently on leave.

Foster has said he was "very offended" and "couldn't believe an officer had sent that out."

McDonough apologized and said he "did not mean any disrespect at all," according to a portion of the email discussion provided by the police department.Foster said some officers were having trouble with the masks and raised concerns during the email discussion about "breathing and fitting right and staying on in the field."

"This is the judgment of one officer sending a photo out like that," Foster said at a news conference outside the police station May 19. "Regardless of what he was thinking, the inappropriateness of it and how it offends people is still there."

The leader of the Norman Citizens Advisory Board (NCAB), which reviewed McDonough's emails, called the investigation "expeditious and in accordance with policy."

"Even though we are disappointed that the NPD did not inform the public or the NCAB of the investigation on May 7 (when the officer was notified of his investigation) we still fully maintain that NPD’s investigative process was conducted quickly and due process was followed," Bruce said.