Texas Trooper Reprimanded for Picture With Snoop Dogg at SXSW

A Texas state trooper has been ordered to undergo counseling for posing in a picture with Snoop Dogg during South by Southwest.

Trooper Billy Spears was asked to pose for the snap by the rap megastar, full name Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr., at the music and film festival in Austin, Texas, the officer’s lawyer told the Dallas Morning News.

Spears claims that he did not know who the celeb was. Snoop Dogg posted the picture to Instagram with the caption, “Me n my deputy dogg” followed by the gun emoji and two star emojis.

Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials say the snap “reflects poorly on the agency,” though Spears will receive no formal disciplinary action for posing with a known felon. But they did call for “counseling,” a ruling which Spears cannot appeal.

Snoop Dogg was convicted of felony drug possession and possession for sale in 1990, and pled no contest to a felony drug charge in 2007. He was also acquitted of a murder charge in 1993.

The DPS told NBC Morning News in a statement Wednesday that it does not discuss personnel issues unless they result in disciplinary action, which is not the case in this instance.

[Dallas Morning News]