A St. Paul, Minnesota police officer is under administrative leave because of a comment he made on Facebook. Sgt. Jeff Rothecker allegedly told the people on a Facebook post to run over the protesters.
Fox9 reported that the St. Paul police sergeant has resigned from his leadership position with the Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police. He was accused of posting a comment on Facebook about recommending motorists to hit the Black Lives Matter protesters. The cop wrote the comment using the name "JM Roth". He allegedly told the drivers to run over the protesters and then further explained how to avoid being charged. The protesters are protesting on the Lake Street bridge on Martin Luther King day.
"JM Roth" was revealed to be Sgt. Jeff Rothecker. Time stated that he was recognized by Andrew Henderson, a community activist who monitors police behavior. Henderson said in a Youtube video that he saw the comment on Facebook and he screenshot it. The comment is now deleted but since there is a screenshot, investigations are ongoing.
According to Washington Post the comment said "Keep traffic flowing and don't slow down for any of these idiots who try and block the street." The mayor said he was disgusted and angered by the comment so he tasked the police to investigate about this. St. Paul police department said they are investigating the issue at hand. They said in a statement that the comment was offensive, disappointing, concerning and does not reflect in any way - or align with - the views, values and practices of the Saint Paul Police Department. They added that the department has a long history of supporting individuals and groups who wish to express their opinions.
The statement further explained that there is no acceptance within the department for employees who insult, intimidate or attempt to silence those practicing their First Amendment rights. They also said that if they find out that a member of the police department did comment that, he will be put on an intensive disciplinary action.
