Pittsburgh police are being ordered to prepare for riots if Trump fires Mueller

Police detectives in Pittsburgh are being ordered to prepare themselves for riots if President Donald Trump fires special counsel Robert Mueller.

An email sent out to detectives and posted online by WTAE-TV reporter Marcie Cipriani shows that Victor Joseph, the commander of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police's major crimes division, has sent out an alert instructing detectives to bring full riot gear with them to work in case they're needed to put down violent protests in the wake of Mueller's firing.

"There is a belief that President Trump will soon move to fire Special Proseutor Mueller," Joseph writes in his email. "This would result in a large protest within 24 hours of the firing. The protest would be semi-spontaneous and more likely happen on short notice."

It is not clear whether Joseph has some inside knowledge that would lead him to believe that Trump is planning to fire Mueller. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto tells Cipriani that Joseph's email to detectives sent out this week was simply a "precautionary" measure.

Read the email for yourself below.