Ohio sheriff’s lieutenant apologizes for ‘won’t help Democrats’ post, blames sleep medication

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio sheriff’s patrol commandant who declared connected Facebook that he would not thief Democrats and would require impervious of who a personification voted for earlier providing them assistance has apologized, blaming prescribed slumber immunodeficiency for causing his “out of character” actions.

Lt. John Rodgers, a 20-year seasoned of nan sheriff’s agency successful Clark County, wherever Springfield is nan region seat, made nan statements successful respective posts connected Facebook, WHIO-TV reported.

“I americium sorry. If you support nan Democrat Party I will not thief you,” Rodgers reportedly wrote successful 1 post. Another said: “The problem is that I cognize which of you supports nan Democratic Party and I will not thief you past nan extremity of days.”

The sheriff’s agency said Rodgers, who has commanded nan department’s roadworthy patrol, would stay connected duty, pinch a written reprimand for violating nan department’s societal media policy.

“We’ve been successful this conflict complete nan past fewer months, pinch nan attacks connected nan Haitian organization and different immigrants, and we protect people’s authorities and we don’t support nan behaviour to nan contrary,” Mike Young, nan county’s main deputy, told nan Springfield News-Sun. “I can’t spell backmost successful clip and return that station away; nan lieutenant made nan station and he has received consequences for that.”

Former President Donald Trump, nan Republican statesmanlike nominee, and his moving mate JD Vance, drew Springfield into nan nationalist spotlight pinch false claims — immoderate made during a nationally televised statesmanlike debate — that nan city’s Haitian immigrants were eating people’s pet dogs and cats. Springfield is successful southwestern Ohio betwixt Columbus and Dayton.

Clark County Elections Director Jason Baker said Rodgers was not scheduled to beryllium astatine nan region elections committee connected Tuesday night, but that nan sheriff’s agency is still readying to nonstop different officers location to supply information during nan predetermination count.

“I deliberation nan nationalist should still beryllium safe, pinch nan Clark County sheriff’s section and nan Springfield Police Department astatine work,” he told The Associated Press. “We’re each fighting for nan aforesaid outcome, which is to person a serene day.”

A sheriff’s agency connection said nan posts do not bespeak nan office’s ngo and values.

“It is understood that while these comments are highly inappropriate, they successful nary intends bespeak nan Clark County Sheriff’s Office transportation of work to ALL our community,” nan connection said. “The organization has a correct to beryllium upset complete nan actions of Lt. Rodgers and he, arsenic good arsenic nan Sheriff’s Office successful general, will person to activity moreover harder to replenish nan spot of members of our community.”

Rodgers formally responded to nan reprimand, penning successful a missive successful his unit record that he does not callback penning nan posts aliases taking them down, and was alerted to them erstwhile a coworker asked if he was OK, nan Springfield News-Sun reported. Rodgers wrote that he did not find them connected his page erstwhile he searched for them and that nan first clip he saw them was during a gathering pinch a section official.

Rodgers said he sometimes takes a prescribed slumber assistance that tin origin him to nonstop “out of character” texts, telephone calls aliases different forms of connection arsenic a broadside effect. The lieutenant said that arsenic soon arsenic he learned of nan messages connected Tuesday, he deactivated his Facebook relationship and stopped taking nan medication, nan newspaper reported.

Clark is not nan only Ohio region dealing pinch arguable statements made by rule enforcement officials connected societal media.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s predetermination monitoring cognition is connected tract successful Portage County, successful nan northeastern portion of Ohio, to guarantee nan region complies pinch national voting authorities laws during early voting and connected Election Day.

That’s aft Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski, a Republican, was accused past period of intimidating voters. Zuchowski, who is moving for reelection, posted connected societal media that group pinch Kamala Harris gait signs should person their addresses written down truthful that immigrants tin beryllium sent to unrecorded pinch them if nan Democrat wins nan presidency.

In nan aftermath of nan comments, nan Portage County Board of Elections voted to forego utilizing sheriff’s deputies for predetermination information this year.

Asked astatine a news convention Monday astir really nan 2 cases mightiness effect voters’ feelings of safety, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose said immoderate rule enforcement officials — peculiarly erstwhile they’re moving for agency — tin sometimes make comments that are “ill-advised.”

“But that doesn’t, successful immoderate way, implicate nan dedicated sworn deputies that activity for them,” he said. ”Those are dedicated group that are first and foremost lawmen and women. They’ve sworn an oath to do this. They put their life connected nan statement to do this, and I person each assurance that they return that work very seriously.”