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REXBURG, Idaho (AP) — An eastern Idaho police department has launched an internal investigation after an officer posted racist content to his social media accounts.
Rexburg Police Chief Shane Turman said the department will take appropriate disciplinary action once the internal affairs investigation into Sgt. Ray Hermosillo and his Instagram postings is complete.
The posts came to light after they were reposted by a popular gossip blog that urged people to call the Rexburg Police and complain. Turman said the department was soon inundated with calls.
Hermosillo's social media accounts have since been deleted, but the posts included one that compared an African American family to a group of gorillas and another that mocked a rallying cry often used at Black Lives Matter protests.
Turman said Hermosillo is mortified and realized he shouldn't have posted the content. He said Hermosillo was not taking any calls from news organizations.
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