Fort Worth Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck is once again facing condemnation from the widows of fallen officers due to photos that purportedly show her office team disrespecting law enforcement.
In a leaked photo posted by Fort Worth resident Stacy Shores, Beck is seen wearing a bearcat costume, while another employee, Anthony Rojas, is in a pig costume, and Mia Boatner is dressed as a donut.
“Mocking those who dedicate their lives to protecting us is not acceptable!” Shores wrote.
(The pictures can be seen here.)
The derogatory term “pig” was first coined in the 1800s, when a slang dictionary published in London defined it as a “policeman.” Over the years, the term has been adopted by extremist groups, including the Black Panther Party in the 1960s, to protest and disrespect law enforcement, as reported by NOISE.
A Bearcat is a “wheeled SWAT vehicle designed for military and law enforcement use. It is used by numerous military forces and law enforcement agencies around the world,” according to Wikipedia.
In 2022, three Fort Worth council members voted against acquiring a new SWAT vehicle for the Fort Worth Police Department, one of whom was Elizabeth Beck. These three council members were criticized by the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, according to NBC 5.
The costume photos have drawn criticism from widows of fallen officers, with one calling for Beck’s resignation.
“Y’all, this is just wow! So disrespectful to our law enforcement officers in Fort Worth. Elizabeth Beck needs to resign. Her Facebook page states she is a leader and she is far from one. This is bullying! Elizabeth Beck its time to go. Fort Worth needs better representation from a councilwoman. They don’t need a council bully!” Teresa Cruz Nava-Salazar posted on Facebook.
“So disappointed in her 🤬😞 Why would you mock our law enforcement???” Valerie Zamarripa posted on Facebook.
Valerie Zamarripa is the mother of fallen Dallas Police Officer Patrick Zamarripa, who died in 2016 when a gunman shot 12 officers in downtown Dallas, killing five, including Zamarripa.
Teresa Cruz Nava-Salazar is the widow of Henry Hank Nava Jr., who died in the line of duty in 2005.
The Dallas Express reached out to Elizabeth Beck’s office but did not receive a response.
