close
close

Ohio sheriff's lieutenant who said he wouldn't help Democrats apologizes

Posted on by Kennedy
Ohio sheriff's lieutenant who said he wouldn't help Democrats apologizes

John Rodgers, a lieutenant with the Clark County Sheriff's Office in Springfield, posted on Facebook that he would not help Democrats. He has since apologized and blamed the posts on medication.

A sheriff's office in Springfield, Ohio, is facing backlash after a lieutenant said on Facebook that he would not help Democrats.

According to the Springfield News-Sun, Lt. John Rodgers of the Clark County Sheriff's Office recently posted on Facebook that he wanted evidence of who someone voted for before he could help them.

“I'm sorry. If you support the Democratic Party, I won't help you,” one of Rodgers' since-deleted posts read, according to local station WHIO-TV. Another post said: “The problem is that I know which of you supports the Democratic Party and I will not help you survive the end of days.”

Rodgers has since deleted his Facebook account and apologized for his comments.

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Monday.

Rodgers blames sleeping pills for the “out of character” claim

Rodgers told the Springfield News-Sun that he takes medication to help him sleep and that this causes him to make “uncharacteristic” phone calls, text messages and statements.

An internal investigative file found that he insisted his comment was a “documented side effect” of a prescribed sleeping pill, WHIO-TV reported.

“I don’t remember writing or deleting these posts,” Rodgers wrote to supervisors, according to the station.

Rodgers has apologized to the Clark County community, his colleagues and his family. He also promised to stop taking the sleeping pills.

“I know I can't apologize enough, and my apologies may seem empty, but I will apologize for as long as it takes,” Rodgers wrote in a letter shared with WHIO-TV. “I know it will be difficult for the public to trust me, but I will do everything in my power to restore that trust. I apologize from the bottom of my heart and want to ensure that I will always serve our community to the best of my ability.” I want to assure the citizens of our community that I treat everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of our differences, and will strive to do so show that I can do better.

Sheriff's Office Calls Rodger's Posts 'Highly Inappropriate'

The Clark County Sheriff's Office has called Rodgers' posts “highly inappropriate,” WHIO-TV reported, saying they do not reflect the office's “service to ALL of our community” and do not reflect the sheriff's office's mission and values .”

“The community has the right to decide the actions of Lt. “Rogers is upset, and he and the sheriff’s office in general must work even harder to restore the trust of members of our community,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement sent to WHIO-TV.

The sheriff's office is located in Springfield, Ohio, which drew national attention after former President Donald Trump made baseless claims that Haitian migrants in the city were stealing and eating pets during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

In an interview with News Nation last month, Trump said he would deport Haitian migrants in Springfield who were legal residents if he was elected.

“Springfield is such a beautiful place. Did you see what happened to it? It was overrun. You can't do that to people. They must be removed,” Trump told the media.

Springfield officials have refuted the city's account.

The sheriff is asking residents to write down the addresses of Harris supporters in September

Rodgers' comments come two months after an Ohio County sheriff took to social media to appear to ask for addresses of homes whose front yard signs supported Harris.

In a Sept. 13 Facebook post, Portage County Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski said what he would do if Harris defeated Trump in the presidential election.

“When people ask me…What happens if the flip-flopping laughing hyena wins?? I say…write down all the addresses of the people who had their signs in their yards,” Zuchowski wrote in the Facebook post . “Sooo…if the illegal human 'locust' (who supports her!) needs places to live…We already have the addresses of her new families…who supported her arrival!”

While Zuchowski, a Republican up for re-election on Tuesday, made no overt threats in the post, some residents expressed concerns about a sheriff listing addresses based on political beliefs.

“This type of doxxing, sanctioned by a gunman with a badge, is nothing short of frightening,” Kent resident Bob Springer wrote in a complaint filed with the federal Justice Department in September.

Contributor: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY and Amanda Garrett, Akron Beacon Journal

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

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