A New Jersey police officer was suspended over his post agreeing with President Donald Trump's threat to shoot violent protesters.
The Millville police officer, who was not identified by the department, commented on Facebook about the president's tweet, which warned that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," reported the Daily Journal.
Facebook users sent screen shots of the remarks to the newspaper, which found the officer identified himself as a Millville police officer and described his position as "enforcer."
The officer took part in a discussion about Trump's tweet about unrest in Minneapolis following the police killing of George Floyd.
The president threatened to send in the National Guard if local officials did not crack down on protesters, and said he had informed the Minnesota governor that the military was available to help.
“Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts," Trump tweeted. "Thank you!”
Another Facebook user warned that protesters “can’t loot if they got holes in them," and then the officer chimed in.
"Seems like target practice to me," posted the person claiming to be an officer.
The police department prohibits officers from using social media to discredit the department or highlight their status as an officer.
“The officer has been removed from their duties pending the outcome of the Internal Affairs investigation," said department spokesman Capt. Ross Hoffman. "And we thank those members of the community who brought the post to our attention.”
