Facebook row over evil Raoul Moat
FACEBOOK bosses sparked fury last night by rejecting police demands to shut down a web page glorifying gunman Raoul Moat.
The social networking site found itself embroiled in a war with police chiefs after internet ghouls used it to abuse blinded PC David Rathband and praise cold-blooded killer Moat, who shot him in the face.
The taunts, which began within minutes of news breaking that the 44-year-old traffic officer had been found hanged, horrified PC Rathband’s colleagues, still reeling from his tragic death.
This was a police officer who was seriously injured in the line of duty and was admired in the community and all over the world.
Eric Evans, president of the National Association of Retired Police Officers, said: “There have been disgraceful comments made against him. This was a police officer who was seriously injured in the line of duty and was admired in the community and all over the world. It is our view that Facebook should close this immediately.’’
But a Facebook spokeswoman said that PC Rathband was a public figure and people were entitled to post comments about him, even if they were deemed offensive by others. She said the page did not breach Facebook rules.