A Louisiana man entrusted to protect the people in his community has resigned from his position after sharing a disgusting, threatening meme on Facebook.
Wayne Welsh, an assistant chief at the Estherwood Police Department, shared a post Sunday depicting a woman holding a young girl’s head under water in a bathtub, with the caption, “When your daughters [sic] first crush is a little negro boy.”
Social media users grabbed a screenshot of the officer’s post and it quickly went viral.
Welsh’s community was outraged, and though local media didn’t immediately release his identity, folks on the internet were happy to oblige:
Estherwood’s police chief, Ernest Villejoin, confirmed to HuffPost Wednesday that Welsh had resigned and said the “situation has been taken care of.” He told local media earlier this week that he was dumbfounded when he saw the post.
“When I found out about it, I couldn’t believe I had to call him. I called him at work and asked him what the hell is going on,” Villejoin told local news outlet KADN. “He done it. He said it and he realized what he had done after he done it and he deleted it but it was too late.”
Welsh, whose Facebook page is now private, appeared to be surprised at the backlash before he apologized on Monday, according to KATC.
“It’s not against the law to share something on Facebook. It’s social media. Internet,” he posted, before backpedaling with an apology. “Well, I’m sorry for what happen. Ya [sic] have a blessed day.”
HuffPost reached out to Welsh’s daughter, aged 31, who confirmed she saw the image. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “I saw it. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Estherwood City Hall immediately distanced itself from the situation, writing on Facebook Monday that it didn’t have control over employment at the police department.
Villejoin told HuffPost that he didn’t yet know who would take over Welsh’s position.
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