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- In August, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a vaccine mandate for state employees.
- Inslee said employees had to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or they would be fired.
- A state trooper said, "Jay Inslee can kiss my ass," after he was fired for refusing the vaccine.
A Washington State police trooper who was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 said Gov. "Jay Inslee can kiss my ass" in his parting message on Friday.
"This is the last time you'll hear me in a state patrol car," Robert LaMay said in his broadcast across the agency's dispatch system, which has since gone viral. "And Jay Inslee can kiss my ass."
LaMay said he served for 22 years and was asked to leave because he was "dirty."
In August, Inslee announced that all state employees would need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18 or they would be fired.
"These workers live in every community in our state, working together and with the public every day to deliver services," Inslee said in the announcement. "We have a duty to protect them from the virus, they have the right to be protected, and the communities they serve and live in deserve protection as well."
Insider was not immediately able to reach Inslee's office for comment.
The Seattle Times reported that in September, hundreds of Washington State Patrol troopers, corrections officers, and other public employees sued Inslee over the mandate. On Monday, a judge ruled that Inslee's mandate was legal and an attempt to halt the mandate was denied, the Seattle Times reported.
In an interview with "Fox & Friends First" on Monday, LaMay said there were hundreds of officers who were willing to get fired over the mandate when it was first announced but then "they started looking at their finances."
"They looked at what they can do and they decided to take the vaccination," LaMay said.
As of October 8, nearly 90% of Washington state employees are vaccinated, per the Seattle Times.
LaMay told Fox he filed for a religious exemption that was initially accepted. He said he was later told he wouldn't be able to continue in his current role but could be transferred to another location.
"They did accept our exemptions after some time, but then they told us, 'Sorry, there's no job you can do with your exemption,'" LaMay said.
COVID-19 is the leading cause of death for police officers, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP), a nonprofit that focuses on honoring fallen officers and tracks causes of death among law enforcement officials. Since 2020, per ODMP, more than four times as many police officers have died from COVID-19 than from gunfire.
The New York Times reported that many police officer unions have pushed back against vaccination requirements. A union representing Massachusetts state police officers said dozens of officers have quit over a vaccine mandate. As of the end of September, per the union, 20% of the force in the state was unvaccinated. It's not clear how many officers across the country have been fired or have quit over mandates.
Washington State Patrol did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. LaMay did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.