A Florida police officer was fired earlier this month after a citizen reported him for posting politically charged and racist memes and musings on social media.
The Kissimmee Police Department verified 30 screenshots of Facebook posts made by Officer Andrew Johnson in support of Capitol riots and Trump and disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement. He also shared his views on abortion, gun rights and athletes kneeling during the National Anthem.
In apparent response to the riots at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, Johnson wrote: “The silent majority will rise!! Day one of the Revolutionary War!! Hang on, it’s only just begun.”
Johnson’s cover photo was, for a time, a Trump 2020 logo. He also expressed that he doubted the veracity of the 2020 election results.
In one post, Johnson shared a meme on his Facebook page with the words “BLM Activists in Wisconsin paint street mural in support of Jacob Blake” emblazoned next to a photo of a handicapped parking spot.
Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times at close range as he walked away from a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer. The shooting paralyzed Blake below the waist, according to his family.
In one post, he wrote or reposted: “I’m selling my white privilege card … it hasn’t done a damn thing for me. No inheritance, no free college, no free food, no free housing ect. I may even be willing to do an even trade for a race card. Those seem way more useful and way more widely accepted.”
Johnson was relieved of duty on Jan. 12 and terminated on Jan. 14, according to Samantha Scarp, a public information officer with the department.
“The posts he made do not align with our core values here,” Scarp said.
A letter from Kissimmee Chief of Police Jeffrey O’Dell informed Johnson that since he was a probationary officer, he wouldn’t be entitled to appeal his termination. It’s unclear why Johnson was on probation.
A concerned citizen had reported Johnson to the department in an email, which was shared with NBC News.
“This officer is a very big problem. Not only is he a very big supporter of what happened recently in DC, but as you’ll see by the attached screenshots has posted some very inappropriate things overtime, and in having conversations face to face with this man, has said some massively concerning things as well,” the email said.
“I believe he is incapable of doing his job without bias which as we all know is a massive problem for police in this country,” the citizen added.
The union that represents Kissimmee police did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
