An Ohio sheriff’s lieutenant who said he wouldn’t help Democrats is deleting posts and apologizing

The sheriff’s office in Springfield, Ohio faces backlash after lieutenant says on Facebook he won’t help Democrats.

Lieutenant John Rogers The Clark County Sheriff’s Office recently posted on Facebook that it needs proof of who someone voted for before helping them, according to Springfield News-Sun.

“I’m so sorry. If you support the Democratic Party, I will not help you,” said one of Rogers’ since-deleted posts, according to a local station. WHIO-TV. Another post said: “The problem is I know which of you support the Democratic Party and I’m not going to help you survive the end of days.”

Rogers has since deleted his Facebook account and apologized for the comments.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment Monday.

Rogers blames sleeping pills for ‘uncharacteristic’ claim.

Rogers told the Springfield News-Sun that he takes medication to help him sleep and it causes him to make phone calls, texts and statements.

An internal investigation found he insisted his comment was a “documented side effect” of prescribed sleep aids, WHIO-TV reported.

“I have no recollection of making these posts or deleting any posts,” Rogers wrote to executives, the station reported.

Rogers apologized to the Clark County community, his colleagues and his family. He also promised to stop taking sleeping pills.

“I know I can’t apologize enough, and my apology may sound hollow, but I will continue to apologize as long as it takes,” Rogers wrote in the letter, which he shared with WHIO-TV. “I know it will be difficult for the public to trust me, but I will do everything in my power to begin to repair that trust. I apologize from the bottom of my heart, and I want to be sure that I will always serve our community to the best of my ability. I can do better.”

The Sheriff’s Office called Roger’s posts “grossly inappropriate”

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office called Rogers’ posts “grossly inappropriate,” WHIO-TV reported, and said they do not reflect “the office’s service to our ENTIRE community and do not reflect the mission and values ​​of the Sheriff’s Office.” .”

“The community has every right to be upset by Lt. Rogers’ actions, and he, as well as the Sheriff’s Office as a whole, will have to work even harder to restore the trust of members of our community,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. statement sent to WHIO-TV.

The sheriff’s office is located in Springfield, Ohio, which has since gained national attention former President Donald Trump made unsubstantiated statements that Haitian migrants in the city steal and eat pets during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

In an interview with News Nation last month, Trump said it would deport Haitian migrants in Springfield who are legally domiciled if elected.

“Springfield is such a beautiful place. Did you see what happened to him? It was filled. You can’t do that to people. They need to be removed,” Trump told the publication.

Springfield officials have denied the image cities

The sheriff tells residents to “write down” the appeal of Harris supporters in September

Rogers’ comments come two months after an Ohio county sheriff took to social media to ostensibly request the addresses of homes with front yard signs supporting Harris.

In a Facebook post on Sept. 13, Portage County Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski said what he would do if Harris defeated Trump in presidential elections.

“When people ask me… What happens if Flip – Flopping, Laughing Hyena wins?? I say…write down all the addresses of people who had her signs in their yards,” Zuchowski wrote in a Facebook post. . “Oooooh…when the illegal person “Locust” (whom she supports!) needs places to live…We will already have the addresses of their new families…who supported their arrival!”

Until ZukhovskyRepublican, who is up for re-election Tuesday, has not made any overt threats in office, some residents have expressed concern that the sheriff is listing addresses based on political beliefs.

“This kind of doxxing, allowed by a gun-toting man with a badge, is simply frightening,” Kent resident Bob Springer wrote in a September complaint he filed with the federal Department of Justice.

Co-author: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY and Amanda Garrett, Akron Beacon Journal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: An Ohio sheriff’s lieutenant who said he would not help Democrats has apologized