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Dick Wolf Fires ‘Law & Order’ Spinoff Writer for Threatening to ‘Light Up’ Looters

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Dick Wolf, the creator and executive producer of NBC’s “Law & Order” franchise, has fired writer Craig Gore from scripting the upcoming spinoff series centered around Christopher Meloni’s “Law & Order: SVU” character Elliot Stabler. Gore posted photos to social media on June 1 that showed him holding a weapon and threatening looters in a comment that stated he would “light motherfuckers up who are trying to fuck with my property” (via Variety). Gore captioned the photo “Curfew…,” referencing the Los Angeles protests over the death of George Floyd.

In a statement to Variety, Wolf confirmed Gore had been let go from the “Law & Order” Elliot Stabler spinoff. The creator wrote: “I will not tolerate this conduct, especially during our hour of national grief. I am terminating Craig Gore immediately.”

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Gore’s credits include the television series “S.W.A.T.” and “Chicago P.D,” which Dick Wolf also co-created. Christopher Meloni posted to Twitter that he does not know Gore and that he has not yet been made aware of any hires to the “Law & Order” spinoff team. The actor noted that Wolf’s “Chicago P.D.” co-creator Matt Olmstead is serving as showrunner of the “Law & Order” spinoff series and wrote of Gore, “I have no idea who this person is or what they do.”

Variety notes that in the aftermath of Gore’s posts the “S.W.A.T.” writers’ room also took to Twitter to make a statement on the protests taking place across the country. A message was shared by the CBS procedural’s executive producer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas calling on real law enforcement officers to “de-escalate conflicts, not exacerbate them.” Thomas said the “S.W.A.T.” writers’ room is currently at work on Season 4 scripts and vowed to be more mindful in the portrayal of cops and S.W.A.T. team members on his show.

News broke March 31 that NBC was bringing Meloni back to reprise the Elliot Stabler character in a new “Law & Order” spinoff. The network has given a 13-episode series order to the crime series. Meloni starred as Elliot Stabler across 12 seasons of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Meloni was the show’s male lead opposite Mariska Hargitay, who stayed with the series after Meloni’s departure. The Meloni-led series is the first show to come out of Wolf’s new five-year, nine-figure deal with Universal Television.

IndieWire has reached out to a representative for Gore for comment.

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