Central Coventry Firefighter placed on leave for facebook posts

By: Liz Tufts

ltufts@abc6.com

Facebook posts by a firefighter with the struggling Central Coventry fire department may cost him his job.? The firefighter throws out profanities and threatens voters, a?rant that continued for days.

Firefighter Joe Bourquin posted three status updates on his facebook page. We can't show you his full status update because of the vulgar language, but here's one part of it. "Karma is coming to get 228 of you.... Bleep bleep... May you all burn in hell."

His tirade?? response to a public meeting last week, where taxpayers voted down a budget that would've increased taxes in order to keep the cash strapped fire department open.

We showed some people in town the posts. Many couldn't believe their eyes. "I can't believe somebody would say that, " says Craig Sampson.? The language he used?I can't believe he went on facebook and wrote this and I?can't believe it it's upsetting very upsetting, " says another resident.

David Gorman, president of the firefighters union, says this kind of behavior won't be tolerated. He says Bourquin has only been with the department for a year and the stress of possibly losing his job got to him.? He's been placed on administrative leave, without pay while the department conducts an internal investigation.

State police interviewed the firefighter and they're now looking into whether his posts are threatening which could lead to criminal charges.

Source: http://www.abc6.com/story/21311070/central-coventry-firefighter-placed-on-leave-for-facebook-posts

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