Mark Roberts, a Florida police officer who was fired for making racist and homophobic remarks on Facebook, is now firing back at his accusers, accusing them of bigotry.
Roberts claimed that the posts were meant as jokes and that he did not hate black or gay people.
One of the posts that has drawn scrutiny was in response to a black father whose 17-year-old son was shot and killed during an attempted burglary by a homeowner.
“I’m glad your kid is dead,” Roberts wrote. “Now go make another one.”
Roberts later told investigators that he made the post because he was tired of homeowners and officers being blamed when criminals are shot and because he was tired of people making excuses for their actions.
“Officer Roberts stated he did not view his post as a stereotype towards black people, and ‘If you do, I’m not the one with the racist views,’” investigators wrote in their report.
Roberts was fired on Dec. 1 after an investigation that began in June when officials were alerted to his social media activity. However, Roberts is expected to contest his termination.