A local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is facing intense backlash after posting what critics are calling a celebration of a police officer’s death on social media. The October 23, 2026 post by Northeast Pennsylvania DSA featured an image from the 2012 funeral of Washington State Patrol Trooper Tony Radulescu, with a caption that has sparked outrage across political lines.
The post showed six uniformed troopers carrying a flag-draped coffin, accompanied by the caption: “one good cop surrounded by a bunch of bad ones.” The implication — that the only “good cop” is a dead one — has drawn sharp condemnation and raised questions about whether the national Democratic Socialists of America organization endorses such messaging.
According to American Thinker, the image wasn’t AI-generated but rather an actual funeral photograph of Trooper Radulescu, who died in the line of duty and left behind a family. The use of a real officer’s funeral for what appears to be anti-police messaging has added another layer to the controversy.
Echoes of Past Anti-Police Rhetoric
The incident recalls the heated anti-police rhetoric that emerged during the Black Lives Matter protests of recent years, when some demonstrators used slogans like “ACAB” (All Cops Are Bastards) and graffiti depicting dead police officers. Those protests, which swept through American cities following high-profile police killings, occasionally devolved into riots, looting, and violence — including the murder of retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn during unrest in 2020.
The NEPA DSA Facebook page explicitly identifies itself as “Northeast Pennsylvania’s local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America,” making the post’s connection to the larger organization clear. This raises the question of accountability: does a local chapter’s social media activity reflect the values of the national DSA, or should it be viewed as an isolated incident?
Calls for Organizational Response
Critics are now calling on the national Democratic Socialists of America to take action, arguing that silence would constitute tacit approval of the message. Some have suggested the organization should expel the chapter entirely or at minimum prohibit it from using the DSA logo and name — potentially invoking trademark laws to enforce such a separation.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between progressive activists and law enforcement, as well as the challenges national political organizations face in managing the actions of local affiliates. While the DSA has positioned itself as a voice for democratic socialism in America, gaining traction particularly among younger voters, incidents like this one test the boundaries of acceptable discourse within the movement.
The post also raises copyright questions, as the funeral photograph may be owned by its original photographer or news outlet. If so, the chapter’s use of the image could potentially constitute unauthorized reproduction — though that legal issue pales in comparison to the ethical questions surrounding the post’s message.
Where the Line Should Be Drawn
The incident forces a broader conversation about political speech and its limits. While criticism of policing practices, calls for reform, and even radical reimagining of public safety are legitimate political positions, mocking the funeral of an individual officer who died serving his community crosses into different territory for many observers.
Trooper Radulescu was a real person who made the ultimate sacrifice while doing his job. Whatever one’s views on policing as an institution or on specific law enforcement practices, celebrating any individual officer’s death strikes many as fundamentally different from policy critique.
The controversy also underscores the permanence of social media posts and their potential to create lasting reputational damage. What might have been intended as edgy political commentary by a local activist group has instead become a national flashpoint, forcing difficult questions about values, accountability, and the boundaries of political rhetoric.
As of now, there has been no public response from the national Democratic Socialists of America regarding the NEPA chapter’s post. Whether the organization chooses to address the controversy — and if so, how — will likely signal how it navigates the tension between supporting bold progressive activism and maintaining standards for how that activism is expressed.
For critics of the DSA, the incident provides ammunition for arguments that the organization harbors anti-police extremism. For supporters, it presents an uncomfortable test case about accountability and messaging discipline within a decentralized activist movement.
The fallen trooper’s family, meanwhile, has been thrust unwillingly into a political controversy years after their loss — a reminder that political point-scoring often has human costs that extend well beyond the initial audience for any given social media post.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/11/do-the-democratic-socialists-of-america-support-cop-killers/