Springfield, Ohio, sheriff's lieutenant says he won't protect Democrats

In numerous social media posts, a veteran Ohio sheriff's lieutenant said he would not protect those who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris — or those who identified as Democrats.

According to a WHIO-TV report, Lt. John Rodgers, who has worked at the Clark County Sheriff's Office for 20 years, posted on Facebook that he would not provide assistance to those who identify as Democrats.

The county in question has been a hotbed of right-wing conspiracies in recent months and has been rocked by former President Donald Trump's false claims that Haitian immigrants are eating people's dogs and cats in Springfield, the county seat.

Due to the conspiratorial campaign against Springfield's immigrant community, the city repeatedly closed its cultural festival in September due to bomb threats.

All of this has led to a loss of trust in local institutions, which suffered a further blow after Rogers declared that he would be failing in his duties if it meant helping a voter who identified as a Democrat.

“I'm sorry. If you support the Democratic Party, I won't help you,” he reportedly wrote on Facebook.

“The problem is, I know which of you supports the Democratic Party, and I'm not going to help you survive the end of days,” he added.

Rogers' posts said those who needed help would have to prove who they voted for before receiving help.

The sheriff's office immediately distanced itself from that opinion when confronted by WHO, but wrote in a statement that Rodgers would receive a written reprimand and remain on duty.

“It is understood that while these comments are highly inappropriate, they in no way reflect the Clark County Sheriff's Office's service to ALL of our communities, nor do they reflect the mission and values ​​of the Sheriff's Office,” the department said. “The community has the right to decide the actions of Lt. Rodgers is upset, and he and the Sheriff’s Office in general will have to work even harder to restore the trust of members of our community.”

According to WHIO, which obtained an “investigative file” and communications within the office, Rodgers said he had been prescribed sleeping pills and that his “uncharacteristic” actions were a “documented adverse reaction.”

The department told the outlet that it apologized for his behavior and that Rodgers “received a written reprimand for a violation of the department's social media policy and will remain on duty.”