Sean Bostwick: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Sean Bostwick was fired from the Detroit Police Department after posting on social media that he was about to wrangle “these zoo animals.”

Sean Bostwick was a rookie police officer in Detroit. He was fired from the department after he admitted to writing an offensive caption on Snapchat, that many critics viewed as racist.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Sean Bostwick Wrote on Snapchat That it Was Time to Arrest ‘These Zoo Animals’

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Branden Hunter@JustCallmeBHunt

Detroit Police officer Sean Bostwick posted this on his social media. He was suspended from the job Sunday. He needs to be fired. Your top cop is black, you patrol a predominantly black neighborhood, in a city that is almost 85% black. Can’t have this on our force.

7:30 AM – Sep 24, 2018 · Detroit, MI

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The Snapchat post that quickly went viral was a picture of 27-year-old Sean Bostwick in his police uniform. The caption read, “another night to Rangel up these zoo animals.” It was sent Saturday September 22.

The post was shared quickly on social media, drawing backlash from the community. Bostwick deleted the post, but the damage was done. The department had already received dozens of angry phone calls from community leaders and other city officials. Bostwick was suspended with pay the next day, in accordance with department policies.

Detroit police chief James Craig said he met with Bostwick on Monday, September 23. He said Bostwick took responsibility for the post and that “he didn’t mean it the way it came off.” Regardless, he was terminated from the department.

2. Bostwick Was Already On Probation Before Sending the Post

Sean Bostwick was hired by the Detroit Police Department in June of 2017, according to the police chief. But he was on probation at the time of the post, which was why the police chief could terminate him easily.

Chief Craig said that Bostwick had low test scores at the police academy, which kept him on probation. The commanding officer of the 12th precinct, where Bostwick was assigned, had reported concerns about the rookie, saying that he required additional training. Craig said he hopes another police department does not hire Bostwick in light of this incident.

3. Detroit Police Chief: The Action by Bostwick Placed a Stain on the Department

Sean Bostwick was clearly proud to be part of the Detroit police department. On his Instagram page, his profile picture was an image of his police badge.

In his highlights, Bostwick posted several images of himself posing in front of various backgrounds, as if he was modeling. The images are all from 2016 and 2017.

His other posts are all from 2015 or earlier. In May of 2015, he shared a picture of himself aiming an AR-15 at coke cans. Bostwick’s Instagram page also includes several photos from a pub crawl with friends and pictures of him wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey.