A complaint that unfolded in social media circles has caught the attention of the media and the Ministry of Public Security (Spanish initials: MSP) in Costa Rica. According to a news report filed by metro reporter Paula Ruiz of daily newspaper La Prensa Libre, the incident occurred this past Saturday in San Jose.

A woman by the last name of Madden was relaxing in Plaza de la Cultura, a major meeting point that is also a tourist attraction due to its proximity to various landmarks of Sans Jose. In a few social media updates, Ms. Madden explained that she witnessed an officer from Fuerza Publica, the national police force of Costa Rica, launch a series of insulting and homophobic remarks towards a male couple who were walking hand in hand.

Ms. Madden explained what happened next:

When I approach the officer to tell him that, as a cop, he should be tolerant and should never offend people with such comments, he started yelling at me, telling me not to get involved. So I tell him that I should be involved because he is supposed to be an authority figure and present a good image of Fuerza Publica. I tell him that the least he could do would be to leave his homophobia at home because it may affect his duties as an officer, so he tells me to get a life.

The social media update was widely shared and picked up by news media outlets. It also got the attention of the Internal Affairs unit of the MSP; an investigation is currently underway and the Disciplinary Department is cooperating. A spokesman for the MSP has explained that the officer in question will probably not be fired; instead, he would be suspended without pay for three days and given a written admonishment that could affect his performance evaluation and thereby his future job promotion and wage increases.

The MSP spokesman also explained that the investigation may not be fully processed without testimony from the affected couple, who allegedly ignored the comments and continued on their way.