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The black director of South Carolina’s public safety agency said he was surprised a photo showing him helping a white man wearing a racist T-shirt went viral, but he hopes it will be a catalyst for people to work toward overcoming hate and violence.
Director Leroy Smith released a statement Monday about the photo, which was taken at a Saturday Ku Klux Klan rally at the South Carolina statehouse.
The photo was taken by Gov. Nikki Haley's spokesman. It shows Smith leading the unidentified man, who is suffering from the heat, to shade at the top of the Statehouse steps. The man he is helping has a swastika on his T-shirt.
Smith said the photo captures "who we are in South Carolina" and represents what law enforcement is all about: helping people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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