Erie officer out after probe into anti-ICE social media post
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An Erie police officer is no longer employed with the department after an internal investigation into a social media post that some residents and political commentators described as encouraging violence toward federal agents, Axios has learned.
The latest: Officer Haili Shimko is "no longer employed" by the Erie Police Department, the department confirmed with Axios Boulder on Tuesday.
- Deputy Chief Heather Carmosino said the internal investigation found "multiple violations of department directives."
- Police officials noted that because this is a personnel matter, they could not confirm whether Shimko was fired or resigned.
Behind the scenes: Erie police added that the investigation began Jan. 25 after a resident complaint "expressed concern about rhetoric unbecoming of an officer."
- Several days later, Libs of TikTok, a right-wing political account, posted what it said was a screengrab of Shimko's Facebook comment that read, "they wear armor so headshots would work better."
- While Libs of TikTok claimed the comment referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency is not named in the visible portion of the post. A later comment revealed in the screengrab references protests.
Between the lines: Axios Boulder could not independently verify the post, and Erie police said they could not comment on whether the investigation confirmed the comments were direct toward ICE agents.
What they're saying: "The Erie Police Department is committed to lawful, ethical, and professional policing," a statement read. "Our responsibility is to ensure public safety while holding our employees accountable to department directives, the public's trust, and the values of our police department."
- "We recognize that serving this community is a privilege, and we do not take that responsibility lightly."
What we're watching: No charges have been filed at this time, but Erie police told Axios they notified the FBI due to the nature of Shimko's comment.