Overland Park police said Friday that an officer has been fired for posting a threatening Facebook comment on a Dallas woman’s Facebook page.
The post appeared to come from an officer’s personal Facebook page and seemed to reference the Black Lives Matter movement. The comment appears to have been posted after the killing of police officers there Thursday night.
It read: “We’ll see how much her life matters soon. Better be careful leaving your info open where she can be found :) Hold her close tonight it’ll be the last time.”
Police Chief Francis Donchez Jr. said the department launched an investigation after receiving information about the posting Friday morning.
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By the end of the day, the department determined that the officer had in fact posted the comment and terminated the officer.
“This quick action demonstrates our commitment to our core values, including integrity and respect,” the chief said in a written statement.
Donchez also said a criminal investigation was underway. The Star is not naming the officer because he has not been charged with a crime.
The woman, LaNaydra Williams, said the comment appeared on her Facebook page Thursday night in response to pictures of her daughter posted in 2014. But there was no information released Friday as to why the officer directed the post at Williams.
“I had no clue who this guy was,” Williams said. “I was angry, and then I was scared.”
She said she took a picture of the comment before it was deleted.
Williams said Donchez called her to tell her the officer had been fired and to apologize to her about what happened.
“I really appreciate everybody so much,” she said later Friday.
After announcing that the officer had been fired, Donchez said he would hold members of the department accountable for their actions on and off duty.
“I want to assure our community, and those outside our community, that our highest priority is the safety and welfare of the citizens of Overland Park, and the men and women who protect everyone,” Donchez said.
“Finally, I want to publicly apologize to those affected by our officer’s personal actions. His actions do not represent the Overland Park Police Department in any way and no one should be subjected to any type of discrimination or this kind of behavior.”
Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc
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