SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The San Diego Police Department is investing an online post made by a member of the department.
According to a letter the NAACP San Diego Branch sent to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, the post mentions 2nd Amendment rights and “alleges there would be support of hundreds of officers in resisting the lawful government of our city and state.”
They said the post, made by a sergeant in the San Diego Police Department, states he and another person are building a coalition of cops who will stand up for their “God given freedoms.”
ABC 10News has not independently verified the post, but in the images shared on the NAACP’s website it says, “From this point forward we will never take the vaccine, be tested, or wear another face diaper around our heads without our free will to make that choice. There’s no compromise whatsoever for any of those restrictions.”
It also said, “Our coalition is growing by the day and if the department and city are willing to fire 100-500 cops, then so be it. It’s time to stand up and bring the fight to them. I know many of you believe in what I am saying, but are you willing to risk it all?”
Members of the San Diego NAACP Branch called the full post language alarming.
“It’s obviously disturbing,” said Prince Sefa-Boakye, Legal Redress Committee Chair, NAACP San Diego Branch. “If one, if not 100 or 500 members of our law enforcement are aspiring to never take the vaccine, be tested and wear a mask or what they call a ‘face diaper’ around their mouths, this gives us great pause.”
Sefa-Boakye says the NAACP San Diego Branch does advocate for vaccinations.
He says as more COVID-19 cases are reported and the number of new infections rises across the country, this type of rhetoric tells the nation and the world that our San Diego law enforcement are willing to put lives at stake in our communities of color, by taking this vitriolic stance, and violating their sworn oath to protect and serve the citizens of San Diego.
He also said it was disturbing that the post ended with a series of letters, or acronym, that’s frequently referenced by QAnon supporters and conspiracy theories.
“Seeing this post really validates that this is something the Mayor of San Diego has to take action on,” he said.
The NAACP letter to Mayor Gloria demanded an immediate investigation.
In a statement to ABC 10News Gloria wrote, “The comments from this post are deeply concerning and I have asked the Police Chief to review this matter and report back to me. These views are not reflective of the City of San Diego or the San Diego Police Department as we know a majority of our public safety personnel have already been vaccinated.”
The San Diego Police Department is also responding to the post.
In a statement a spokesperson said, “The San Diego Police Department is aware of the social media comment posted by an SDPD member regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. This post was made by one individual. SDPD currently employs approximately 1,950 sworn members and always encourages safe workplace practices. SDPD is reviewing this as a personnel matter to determine if the officer violated department policy. SDPD holds its members to the highest standards. Any department member found to be in violation of SDPD’s policies or procedures will be held accountable. SDPD strongly encourages all of its members to get vaccinated and continues to make COVID-19 vaccine readily available.”
A spokesperson for the San Diego Police Officers Association said at this time they don’t have a comment.
