The officer was already on a warning for past homophobic remarks.
PC Mick Colbourne has been fired from the Lincolnshire police force after calling for the parents of transgender children to be shot. The officer had also given other colleagues a Nazi salute.
Speaking to a misconduct hearing, Lincolnshire Live reports that Liz Briggs, for Lincolnshire Police said: “She [Beverley Hewitt, a civilian manager] asked the officer to leave. The officer was heard to say: ‘It’s like working for the Gestapo.’ The officer accepts making that comment.
“It was akin to a Nazi salute raising his right arm straight up in the air before exiting the office.”
Colbourne admits to saying the remark, but not to the gesture, saying he had simply been waving to a colleague.
A month after this remark, Briggs said Colbourne walked into the office and began making discriminatory remarks about transgender and non-binary individuals.
She told the hearing, Colbourne said: “All these 12-year-olds who don’t know what their gender is. It’s their parents’ fault. They should all be lined up and shot. All these transgenders. They are lunatics. They are wrong in the head. Their parents are to blame.”
The BBC reports that Colbourne denied being transphobic, with him saying: “I’m not bigoted. I didn’t say transgender, transvestites or gender fluid people are lunatics. The only people I call lunatics are the parents.”
Following Colbourne’s dismissal, Detective Superintendent Suzanne Davies, the Head of Professional Standards for Lincolnshire Police said: “Police Officers hold extraordinary trust and powers; we must be beyond reproach.
“The standards of professional behaviour expected of police officers is clearly set out in legislation and the code of ethics. The panel today found PC Mick Colbourne’s conduct breached those standards and this amounted to misconduct.
“As the officer has a final written warning in force, PC Colbourne has been dismissed without notice and his name will be added to the list of those barred from working within Policing.
“I expect all Lincolnshire police officers to treat members of the public and colleagues with respect and courtesy and to behave in a manner which does not bring discredit to the police service or undermine public confidence.
“I pass on my thanks to the legally qualified chair and other members of the panel for their time spent on this case.”
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