The Springfield, Mass., Police Department has launched an investigation into an officer who wrote “Hahahaha love this” in response to a story about a man plowing his car through a crowd of counterprotesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., leaving one woman dead and a number of people injured.
Indeed, people (including the police) continue to show the worst sides of themselves.
Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbierri said that he got a complaint about the Facebook comment Sunday and opened an internal investigation, the Associated Press reports.
The officer, identified as Conrad Lariviere, reportedly wrote this caption in response to a story about the violence: “Hahahaha love this, maybe people shouldn’t block road ways.”
Of course, as soon as he was identified, Lariviere went on an apology tour, claiming that he’s a “good man who made a stupid comment.”
Pro tip, Conrad: Good men don’t go making jokes about cars plowing into people. Why don’t you explain how good you are to the family of Heather Heyer, who lost her life in that incident? Why don’t you explain what you meant to the families of those 19 people who were injured?
Lariviere’s comment drew swift backlash from Democratic Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who blasted, “There is no place for this in our society, let alone from a Springfield police officer.”
Damn straight.
James Alex Fields Jr., the man who is accused of being behind the wheel of the car that was rammed violently into the peaceful crowd, is expected in court Monday for various charges, including second-degree murder.
Read more at Talking Points Memo.