Tennessee sheriff’s deputy suspended after Facebook post

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A sheriff’s deputy in Tennessee has been suspended without pay over a Facebook post regarding a Black Lives Matter protest that led to the shutdown of Interstate 40.

Shelby County sheriff’s spokesman Earle Farrell tells the Commercial Appeal that the sheriff’s office found out about the post on Wednesday and took “immediate action.” Farrell confirmed the suspension, but couldn’t release the name.

The Facebook page had been taken down late Wednesday, apparently after the deputy posted that law enforcement officers should use hoses on protesters.

The protests have come after black men were killed by police in Minnesota and Louisiana and white officers were gunned down in Dallas.

In the aftermath, some first responders across the country have been fired or suspended for racially insensitive posts on social media.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Categories: Regional News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *