Ohio Officer Makes Social Media Posts Saying He Wouldn’t Respond to Emergencies if Victims Are Democrats: ‘I Will Not Help You’

Jessie Wardarski/AP

A lieutenant with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio made alarming social media posts implying that he’d refuse aid to Democrats.

On Oct. 20, Lt. John Rodgers made a post on Facebook flatly claiming he wouldn’t help Democrats. His county notably includes Springfield, the town that earned national attention thanks to baseless claims by former President Donald Trump and his supporters about Haitian immigrants eating local pets.

“I am sorry,” Rodgers said. “If you support the Democrat party I will not help you.”

That post was one of several. In one, Rodgers simply said, “Kamala Harris represents SATAN.” In another, the lieutenant claimed he would make people “provide proof of who you voted for if you ask me for help.”

“Weapons and ammo are not cheap,” Rodgers added in the post.

He said in a fourth post that he “will not help you survive the end of days.”

In response to the posts, Chief Deputy Mike Young sent a statement to WHIO saying:

It is understood that while these comments are highly inappropriate, they in no means reflect the Clark County Sheriff’s Office delivery of service to ALL our community and does not reflect the mission and values of the Sheriff’s Office. The community has a right to be upset over the actions of Lt. Rodgers and he, as well as the Sheriff’s Office in general, will have to work even harder to replenish the trust of members of our community.

WHIO also obtained communications between Rodgers and his supervisors. In their communication, Rodgers reportedly claimed he didn’t remember writing the posts. He also told them that a prescribed sleeping medication causes him to act “out of character.”

Rodgers received a written reprimand, but will remain on duty.