A Lucas County (Ohio) sheriff’s deputy has been fired after making what were termed inappropriate Facebook posts that referred to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Deputy Thomas Hillabrand, 57, a 19-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was terminated from his position Wednesday.
The office’s internal affairs investigators determined Deputy Hillabrand on July 23 wrote an inappropriate post about his trip to a Toledo Taco Bell drive-thru window.
The post said a black employee and a co-worker inside the restaurant made a vulgar comment about police, yelled “Black lives matter,” and laughed at him. The deputy was in uniform at the time.
“I guess we’ll see if they’re still laughing after I call their corporate office Monday and unload on someone. Not only were they completely disrespectful to law enforcement but that’s absolutely no way to treat a cash-paying customer that is supporting the place where they work!” according to the post.
He encouraged fellow officers not to visit the business, 2234 W. Alexis Rd., during shifts.
In reply to a commenter who said she would be enraged and was surprised he did not reach through the window, Deputy Hillabrand wrote, “Couldn’t reach em, in the pre-camera days you know what would a happened!”
A separate July 14 post investigated by internal affairs made reference to a way to clear highways of “BLM,” or Black Lives Matter members, with an image of a driver called “the traffic buster.” Deputy Hillabrand identified himself on his Facebook account as an employee of the sheriff’s office.
A sheriff’s office review board sustained four administrative charges against the deputy, including making racial and sexual remarks and/or harassment and conduct unbecoming an employee of the office. Office policies forbid employees making racial comments that offend colleagues, inmates, and the public.