Jackson County, Mississippi, Deputy Sheriff Michael Slater, lost his job when he taunted a fellow XBox Live player and hurled a racial epithet at him. Slater had been a deputy for three years, according to Sheriff Mike Ezell.
The other player, known only as “David,” recorded Slater’s comments and later posted them ?on YouTube. Within hours of the posting, Slater was unemployed.
In the video, Slater verifies that he is indeed a deputy and is even dense enough to offer up his name and badge number! Talk about a sense of entitlement. Did Slater think he was immune from the law he was sworn to uphold? At one point Slater angrily says:
“I get paid to beat up n—– like you.?I will take your f—— brains, and I will shove them down your…throat.”
Yikes! I think someone took that whole gamer-roleplaying thing far too seriously. If you get that gigged up when you’re playing a game, it might be time to dial back on your gaming time
Sheriff Ezell said he didn’t hesitate to remove Slater from the department:
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Once we we’re made aware of the situation, we took immediate action.”
For those who don’t play games on XBox Live, including myself, it is instructive to know that?Live chat is a feature of the Xbox 360 video game system. According to the game creator, Microsoft, players can also use a headset or Kinect sensor to chat with others in a group, or private conversation, as they play various games online.
Mr. Slater should have plenty of time to practice his gaming skills in the weeks ahead, because he certainly won’t have the encumbrance of gainful employment. However, he may want to consider finding a new, less self-destructive hobby.
