The sheriff’s office in Springfield, Ohio, is under scrutiny following a lieutenant’s Facebook comment indicating he would not aid Democrats.

According to the Springfield News-Sun, Lt. John Rodgers of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office expressed on Facebook that he required proof of someone’s voting choice before offering help.

“I apologize. If you support the Democrat Party, I will not assist you,” he stated in a now-deleted post, as reported by local station WHIO-TV. In another post, he added, “The issue is that I know who among you supports the Democratic Party, and I will not help you survive difficult times.”

Rodgers has since taken down his Facebook account and issued an apology.

The sheriff’s office did not respond immediately to YSL News’s inquiry on Monday.

Rodgers attributes ‘out of character’ statements to sleep medication

Rodgers explained to the Springfield News-Sun that he takes medication for sleep, which he claims affects his ability to communicate appropriately, leading to “out of character” actions and statements.

An internal investigation document showed that he claimed his comments were a “documented side-effect” of his prescribed sleep medication, as reported by WHIO-TV.

“I do not recall writing these posts or even deleting any,” Rodgers communicated to his supervisors, according to the station.

Rodgers has issued an apology to the Clark County community, his colleagues, and his family, and has committed to discontinuing the sleep medication.

“I understand I cannot apologize enough, and these apologies may seem meaningless, but I will continue to express my regret as long as it is necessary,” Rodgers mentioned in a letter shared with WHIO-TV. “I realize it may be tough for the public to place their trust in me again, but I will do everything possible to restore that trust. I sincerely apologize and want to assure our community that I will always serve to the best of my ability and work towards improvement. I want to assure our citizens that I have always treated everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of our differences, and I will strive to demonstrate that I can do better.”

Sheriff’s office condemns Rodgers’ comments as ‘highly inappropriate’

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has deemed Rodgers’ comments as “highly inappropriate,” WHIO-TV reported, asserting that they do not align with the office’s commitment to serving everyone in the community and are not reflective of the sheriff’s office’s mission and values.

“The community has every right to be outraged by Lt. Rodgers’ actions, and both he and the sheriff’s office will need to work even harder to regain the trust of our community members,” the sheriff’s office stated in a note to WHIO-TV.

The sheriff’s office is based in Springfield, Ohio, a city that attracted national scrutiny after former President Donald Trump made unfounded claims during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Haitian migrants there were stealing and eating pets.

In a recent interview with News Nation, Trump expressed his intention to deport Haitian migrants in Springfield who may have legal residency if he is elected.

“Springfield is such a beautiful place. Have you noticed what has been happening to it? It’s being overrun. You can’t do that to people. They have to go,” Trump told the outlet.

Officials in Springfield have disputed this negative characterization of the city.

Sheriff suggests residents monitor support for Harris

Rodgers’ remarks came shortly after another sheriff in Ohio made a social media post seemingly calling for residents to note the addresses of homes displaying signs supporting Harris.

On September 13, Portage County Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski stated on Facebook what he would do if Harris were to defeat Trump in the presidential race.

“When people ask me. What will happen if the Flip-Flopping, Laughing Hyena wins?? I say write down the addresses of the people who displayed her signs in their yards,” Zuchowski wrote on Facebook. “So that when the illegal human ‘locusts’ (who she endorses) need places to stay. we will already have the addresses of their new families who welcomed their arrival!”

Although Zuchowski, a Republican running for re-election on Tuesday, did not issue any specific threats in his post, some community members expressed worry about a sheriff sharing addresses linked to political beliefs.

“This kind of doxxing, especially when it comes from a law enforcement officer, is pretty terrifying,” stated Kent resident Bob Springer in a complaint he lodged with the federal Department of Justice back in September.