St. Louis business owner Andy Frisella, co-founder of 1st Phorm, is facing backlash from local law enforcement agencies following a controversial podcast episode where he criticized female police officers, FOX 2 Now reported. In the now-deleted episode of "Real AF," Frisella stated, "…There’s a lot of police officers—to be completely honest, especially women police officers—who f—— try to emasculate men. They try to make men feel like they’re being dominated or they’re being, you know, that they have power over them. And, bro, the quickest way to escalate a situation is to do that to a grown man, you know?" He then asserted, "And that’s why we, you know, that’s why in my opinion, women shouldn’t be in the f—— field and police officers. I just don’t think they should be."
Both the St. Louis Metropolitan and St. Louis County police departments quickly responded by condemning Andy Frisella's comments and cutting ties with him and his company, 1st Phorm. Despite Frisella's apology, which acknowledged his overgeneralization and speaking style, it was deemed insufficient. St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy emphasized the importance of female officers to their team, while the County police, led by Col. Kenneth Gregory, not only ended their relationship with 1st Phorm but also marked their move to a new precinct named after fallen officer Joann Liscombe, a woman who served with honor, to highlight the essential role women have played in the department, KSDK reported.
The St. Louis County Police Association echoed these concerns, with Executive Director Joe Patterson stating that the positive contributions of female officers cannot undo the harm from Frisella's remarks. "It's really disturbing for them both, both emotionally and just they feel extraordinarily violated and disrespected," Patterson said in the KSDK declaration. Former and current female officers in the St. Louis area have called Frisella’s comments repugnant and vowed to boycott his business ventures.
Derek Machens, President of the St. Louis County Police Association, called Frisella's comments "highly offensive and abhorrent," highlighting a broad community rejection of his views. According to a statement from First Alert 4, the backlash is against not just his comments but their violent nature, which goes against the values they uphold. The controversy puts Frisella and 1st Phorm in a difficult position, especially since 1st Phorm has been a major donor to law enforcement charities and Backstoppers—relationships now at risk due to the public outrage over Frisella's remarks.
