NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans police sergeant was fired Friday because of social media posts he made over the summer calling protesters against police brutality "savages" and "animals," the department said in a statement.
Sgt. Anthony Edenfield, a homicide detective, was stripped of all police powers and decommissioned in June when the social media posts first came to light.
Screenshots have been shared of posts made under the name Anthony Edenfield, showing a link to looting in San Jose, California. The screenshot included the comment “SAVAGES!!!! ANIMALS!!!!" on May 30.
Another comment, on an article aggregating a news story about a man who was run over and killed by a FedEx truck during a night of protests in St. Louis last month, said he would use "lethal force" if confronted by protesters.
“This sh— has moved on from being about George Floyd,” the comment said. “I am running them over, and shooting if lethal force were my only way out. The a--hole under the truck got what he deserved.”
Another comment was in response to New York Times writer Nikole Hannah-Jones’ assertion that “destroying property, which can be replaced, is not violence.”
“Burn down her house," the comment, attributed to Edenfield, said. "Blow up her car and see if she still feels the same way."
The NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau, which conducts internal investigations into officer misconduct, found the posts were "racially insensitive and inappropriate."
He was fired because his posts were in violation of the NOPD's professional conduct and moral conduct policies.
The comments were posted while the U.S. was in the middle of a series of protests over allegations of systemic racism in law enforcement forces across the country.
Demonstrations against police violence in several cities led to violence against protesters as well as looting and vandalism.
Demonstrators marched in New Orleans, but the gatherings remained largely peaceful.
"Activities that threaten the public trust in the New Orleans Police Department are unacceptable. Our officers are held to a higher standard, and this type of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated", said NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson in a statement.
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