Key Words: Louisiana police officer fired for saying Ocasio-Cortez ‘needs a round’

Charlie Rispoli, a 14-year veteran of the Gretna Police Department in Louisiana, was fired Monday for his Facebook post. Read More...

‘This vile idiot needs a round … and I don’t mean the kind she used to serve.’

That’s what Charlie Rispoli, a 14-year veteran of the Gretna Police Department in Louisiana, posted on Facebook FB, +2.00% last week in reference to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Here’s the screen shot from the account, which has since been taken down:

The story he was commenting on, which claims Ocasio-Cortez says soldiers get paid too much, was satire and deemed “false” by Snopes. Of course, fake news travels fast, especially when it fits the desired narrative, as it did in this case.

Rispoli’s post followed closely on the heels of President Donald Trump telling Ocasio-Cortez, along with fellow first-term congresswomen of color, to “go back” from where they came. Trump’s words led the Democratic-led House to officially vote to condemn the “racist comments.” Four Republicans as well as recent party-leaver Justin Amash voted for the resolution.

Late Monday, the Associated Press reported that Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson announced Rispoli had been fired, along with another officer, Angelo Carisco, who had “liked” the post. “It’s very disappointing,” Lawson reportedly said, noting the department had been undergoing training on diversity and use of social media this month.

Ocasio-Cortez has been the target of threatening and lewd comments from law-enforcement officials before, including earlier this month when ProPublica found a secret Facebook page for Border Patrol agents to make crude jokes about her.