FireRescue1 has removed our initial coverage of the incident referred to in the article below. Our original article, which FireRescue1 based on several independent media accounts as well as a statement by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, identified Roger Stokes as the man who yelled “white power” in the video.
Subsequent reporting made clear that Mr. Stokes was not the man in the video, and those whose reporting FireRescue1 cited in our original coverage have issued retractions. In addition to the retraction, we, too, apologize sincerely to Mr. Stokes for the article’s erroneous identification of him and convey our regret for any distress this has caused him or his family.
By Janelle Foskett
A retired Miami-Dade firefighter named in multiple online outlets, including FireRescue1.com, as the man who used the phrase “white power” during a rally in support of President Donald Trump is the victim of mistaken identity, according to his attorneys.
Several of the outlets that initially named Roger Stokes as the man in the video, including the Miami Herald and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, have since issued retractions clarifying that Stokes is not the man featured.
On June 28, President Trump tweeted a video of a pro-Trump golf cart parade in Florida. In the video, a man passing in a golf cart can be heard making the “white power” comment to a group of counter-protesters. The video was later taken down, with White House officials saying Trump had not heard the racist remarks.
Soon thereafter, multiple Twitter accounts named Stokes as the man in the video, and he was identified as a retired Miami-Dade firefighter.
On June 29, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Twitter account posted the following statement: “The statement made by a longtime retired employee does not reflect Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s core values of integrity and respect for the diverse and multi-cultural community we serve. This retired employee acted as a private citizen and his views and actions are not representative of who we are and what we stand for.” FireRescue1 published news of the department’s statement.
The department later removed the tweet.
According to the Miami Herald, Stokes’ attorneys say he owns a different golf cart than the man in the video and was not involved in the rally. They said they were working to identify the Villages resident who yelled the racist remark but had not yet confirmed his identity.