A firefighter in Philadelphia is apologizing for posting a photo he says meant as a joke but now admits went too far.
A firefighter in Philadelphia is apologizing for posting a photo he says meant as a joke but now admits went too far, reports WTXF.
The picture John Deluisi shared on Facebook shows him holding a tiki torch and wearing a hat emblazoned with the Confederate flag. The caption reads, “Headed to Virginia.”
That image was taken and put up on the social media site just days after white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On Friday, that group carried torches as they convened on the University of Virginia campus, notes CNN.
The following day, clashes broke out between white supremacists and the counter-protesters present at a rally and three people died in connection with the violence.
Deluisi told WTXF, “You know I was drinking way too much...it was just a stupid dumb joke."
He also said, “I am very disappointed in myself and I'm very sorry."
The Associated Press reports that "the Philadelphia Fire Department says it is investigating Deluisi’s post and could take disciplinary action."
The firefighter is not the only one facing consequences for a post related to the turmoil in Charlottesville.
A Springfield, Massachusetts police officer is drawing scrutiny for his alleged Facebook post regarding those harmed by a driver who plowed his car into a group of protesters in Charlottesville on Saturday.
MassLive reports that he wrote not long after the incident, “Hahahaha love this, maybe people shouldn’t block roadways.”
