A US police officer has apologized for posting an image on his Facebook page showing a mushroom cloud alongside a reference to Islam. Jason Montalbano, an officer in Massachusetts, faces potential disciplinary action for what is being considered inappropriate conduct on social media.
The meme reportedly showed an image of a mushroom cloud alongside the caption, “JAPAN HAS BEEN AT PEACE WITH THE USA SINCE SEPTEMBER 2, 1945,” referencing the destruction of two Japanese cities by US atomic bombs. Under this, it says, “IT’S TIME WE MADE PEACE WITH ISLAM.”
The image apparently received 17 likes.
Mayor Stephanie Burke said that police officers should be held to a higher standard on social media, and that they must maintain a certain level of neutrality.
“You can’t be a neutral officer on the street if you have these ideas about a certain group of people,” she said. “So, it’s not acceptable.”
In his apology, Montalbano said that he was targeting Daesh, but realized later that it was offensive.
“My intention posting it on my private Facebook page was to support and address a military action against the ISIS terrorist threat,” Montalbano said on Wednesday. “In retrospect, I understand the reference to Islam was inappropriately overbroad and offensive to muslims.”
Medford officer apologizes for Facebook post #wcvb pic.twitter.com/GTQ1skUeJK
— John Atwater (@AtwaterWCVB) March 16, 2016
