An Ohio sheriff’s lieutenant apologizes after making a social media post bragging about refusing assistance to people who voted Democratic in Tuesday’s election and requiring proof of voting choice before providing assistance. And only to be reprimanded.
Veteran Clark County Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Rogers reportedly uses his services when responding to calls for service in his jurisdiction, which includes the city of Springfield, which has recently become a center for conservative forces. He said he posted it on Facebook after considering people’s voting records. Conspiracy theory, according to Ohio news outlet WHIO.
In a series of posts, Ms. Rogers reportedly wrote: If you support the Democrats, I won’t help you. ”
“The problem is, I know which of you are Democrats, but I’m not going to help you survive the doomsday,” he wrote in another post. reportedly said.
In another article, Rogers suggested that people need to “provide proof of who they voted for” if they ask him for help, WHIO reported.
After the post gained public attention, the sheriff’s office said in a statement to WHIO that the comments were “highly inappropriate.” The agency also said these posts “do not reflect the services that the Clark County Sheriff’s Office provides to all communities, nor do they reflect the mission or values of the Sheriff’s Office.” Ta.
“The community has every right to be upset by Officer Rogers’ actions, and Officer Rogers, and the Sheriff’s Office, must do more to regain the trust of members of the community,” the statement added.
Internal investigation files on Rogers’ posts obtained by WHIO allege that Rogers was prescribed sleep aids by his doctor, which caused some of his communications to become “erratic.” It is also stated that it was claimed that Mr. Rogers reportedly claimed it was a “documented side effect.”
“I do not remember writing these posts or deleting them,” Rogers reportedly wrote in an internal communication with supervisors.
According to WHIO, the sheriff’s office announced that Rogers received a written reprimand for violating the department’s social media policy and will remain on the job.
Clark County, Ohio, seeks second term as Donald Trump and others begin repeating lies on social media that people in Springfield, Ohio’s Haitian community eat pets and wild animals This is the focus of the campaign.
Since President Trump promoted false and derogatory claims during a September debate with his White House opponent, Kamala Harris, bomb threats have led to attacks on several hospitals, municipal buildings and schools. was put on lockdown, leading to evacuations and temporary closures. community.
In a statement to the Springfield News-Sun, Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Young referred to the situation involving Mr. Rogers, which he called a situation surrounding lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield and Clark counties. He said he linked it to ongoing tensions.
“We have been involved in this fight in recent months with attacks against the Haitian community and other immigrants. We protect people’s rights and do not support actions that violate them,” Young said. “You can’t go back in time and take away that post. The lieutenant created this post and has suffered the consequences.”
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Mr. Rogers himself apologized again for his post in a letter to the News Sun on Sunday.
“I know I can’t apologize enough, and my apology may seem hollow, but I will continue to apologize for as long as it takes,” Rogers wrote.
“I know that in today’s day and age, society has a perception of law enforcement that isn’t necessarily positive, and I’m just deepening that perception,” Rogers added. “I take responsibility for the message and deeply regret having created it.”
Rogers said that as soon as she became aware of her post on Tuesday, she deactivated her Facebook account, stopped taking her sleeping pills and contacted her doctor to discuss alternative medications.
He also told the News-Sun that he contacted the Clark County Commission, community partners and the NAACP to have “face-to-face conversations” to explain himself, “take ownership of the post” and apologize to them. he said. However, he acknowledged that he was aware that “it will be difficult for the public to trust me.”
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