JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — A Tennessee county sheriff's deputy was fired from his job after he said authorities should have “opened fire” on anyone who acted violently during protests against the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, officials said.
Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Casura was fired Monday after initially being suspended without pay, news outlets reported.
Chief Deputy Leighta Laitinen said Casura's comment went against the values and standards of the department.
“After additional review into the remark made by Officer Matt Casura on a Facebook post over the weekend, it was determined that stronger disciplinary action was warranted,” Laitinen said. “Based upon his actions, Officer Casura’s employment was terminated today.”
Laitinen said Casura and other deputies should be "mindful of their conduct in private life, how that conduct reflects on the Sheriff’s Office and how it can damage the trust of the community.”
Officer Casura’s comment goes against the values and standards of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Officers must regard the discharge of their duties as a public trust and recognize their responsibilities as a public servant. Even while off-duty, officers must be mindful of their conduct in private life, how that conduct reflects on the Sheriff’s Office and how it can damage the trust of the community,” Laitinen said.
Casura made the comment over the weekend on Facebook in a post about violent behavior by some people attending protests in Minnesota. "Open fire should have been issued on anyone participating," he said in the post, according to the Johnson City Press. His comment were in response to another person's post condemning the protests that turned violent.
The original post said demonstrators “wasted the perfect platform and opportunity to unite everyone together and coordinate a movement that would’ve gone down in the history books as a tipping point for reform.”
By Saturday night, Casura had been suspended for 30 days, but the review led to his firing.
Laitinen said Casura was apologetic and understood his comment was made in "poor taste.” A phone listing for Casura could not be found.
About the Author
