Texas police department faces backlash after spelling out 'VOTE' with handcuffs and bullets

A Texas police department was criticized on Tuesday after it spelled out the word "vote" using handcuffs, ammunition and other gear.

In an election day tweet, the Southlake Department of Public Safety encouraged voters to "be kind, be courteous, and be a good human."

The tweet included a photograph of the word "vote" spelled using various law enforcement gear. The image included handcuffs, two magazines of ammunition, a Taser, pepper spray and a mock pistol.

The tweet was met with scorn and confusion.

"Umm, not sure what to think about this photo. Handcuffs, amunition [sic], taser, pepper spray...but it says Vote. I think I would have preferred to see the word Vote made out of M&M’s instead...less intimidating," Ydalmi Rodriguez wrote.

"They know exactly the message they're sending both to those who hate it and those who love it," another Twitter user argued. "They don't deserve the benefit of the doubt."

Read some of the responses below.