An Ohio sheriff's lieutenant is blaming sleeping pills for a series of controversial Facebook posts in which he suggested he would withhold help from Democrats.

What was in the posts?

Ahead of the 2024 election, Lieutenant John Rodgers of the Clark County Sheriff's Office in Springfield, Ohio, reportedly posted messages on Facebook claiming he would not help Democrats and even suggested he was a Democratic Party supporter could identify.

“I'm sorry. If you support the Democratic Party, I will not help you,” Rodgers allegedly 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 those comments, the Clark County Sheriff's Office issued a statement clarifying that Rodgers' comments do not reflect the department's values ​​or mission.

“It is understood that while these comments are highly inappropriate, they in no way reflect the Clark County Sheriff's Office's service to ALL of our community,” the statement said. “The community has the right to decide the actions of Lt. Rodgers is upset, and he and the Sheriff’s Office in general will have to work even harder to restore the trust of members of our community.”

What did Rodgers say in his apology?

As a result of his posts, Rodgers received a formal reprimand for violating the office's social media policies. However, the lieutenant claimed he did not remember the posts, citing possible effects of his sleeping medication, which he said can sometimes lead to “out of character” behavior, including sending text messages and social media posts.

In addition, Rodgers said that although he only became aware of her when a colleague asked him how he was doing, he did not find her when searching his page and that he first came across her during a meeting with a I've seen the department officially.

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

The political implications

The posts have struck a chord in the local community, already tense due to rising tensions surrounding recent controversies. Clark County has come under scrutiny in recent months over false claims that Haitian migrants in the area were killing and eating pets.

These claims were 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 eat the dogs — the people who came in. They eat the cats.”

However, when Trump repeated the allegations, he was quickly fact-checked live as city officials debunked the rumors and police said there were “no credible reports” about the claims. Still, the rumors have spread online, sparking widespread concern and misinformation.

“We have been in this fight for the last few months, with the attacks on the Haitian community and other immigrants, and we protect people's rights and we do not support any behavior to the contrary,” Mike Young, the county's top deputy, said Springfield News-Sun. “I cannot go back in time and avoid this position; the lieutenant took over the post and received consequences for it.”

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.