Ohio Sheriff's Lieutenant Blames Sleep Aids for 'Won't Help Democrats' Post

An Ohio sheriff's lieutenant is blaming sleep medication for a series of controversial Facebook posts in which he suggested he would refuse assistance to Democrats.

What Did the Posts Say?

Ahead of the 2024 election, Lieutenant John Rodgers of the Clark County Sheriff's Office, located in Springfield, Ohio, reportedly posted messages on Facebook asserting he would not help Democrats and even implied he could identify supporters of the Democratic Party.

"I am sorry. If you support the Democrat Party I will not help you," Rodgers reportedly posted. Another message said: "The problem is that I know which of you supports the Democratic Party, and I will not help you survive the end of days."

Following these comments, the Clark County Sheriff's Office issued a statement clarifying that Rodgers' remarks do not reflect the values or mission of the department.

"It is understood that while these comments are highly inappropriate, they in no means reflect the Clark County Sheriff's Office delivery of service to ALL our community," the statement said. "The community has a right to be upset over the actions of Lt. Rodgers and he, as well as the Sheriff's Office in general, will have to work even harder to replenish the trust of members of our community."

What Did Rodgers' Apology Say?

As a result of his posts, Rodgers received a formal reprimand for violating the office's social media policy. However, the lieutenant claimed he had no memory of making the posts, citing possible effects of his sleep medication, which he said can sometimes cause "out-of-character" behavior, including sending texts and social media posts.

In addition, Rodgers said while he was only alerted to them when a coworker asked if how he was feeling, he did not find them on his page when he searched for them and that the first time he saw them was during a meeting with a department official.

The lieutenant also said that as soon as he learned of the messages on Tuesday, he deactivated his Facebook account and stopped taking the medication, the Springfield News-Sun reported.

The Political Impact

The posts have struck a chord in the local community, already on edge from heightened tensions surrounding recent controversies. Clark County has faced scrutiny in recent months due to false claims that were made about Haitian migrants in the area killing pets and eating them.

These claims have been repeated by former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance. In his first debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, the former president repeated the claim, saying: "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs—the people that came in. They're eating the cats."

However, Trump was quickly fact-checked live when he repeated the accusations, as city officials debunked the rumors and police have said there were "no credible reports" of the claims. Nevertheless, the rumors have spread online, sparking widespread concern and misinformation.

"We've been in this battle over the last few months, with the attacks on the Haitian community and other immigrants, and we protect people's rights and we don't support the conduct to the contrary," Mike Young, the county's chief deputy, told the Springfield News-Sun. "I can't go back in time and take that post away; the lieutenant made the post and he has received consequences for that."

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.