SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County sheriff’s deputy who proposed killing rioters and looters in a Facebook post early this month has been handed a proposed termination, BCSO officials confirmed Friday night.
Deputy Justin Silva had been under investigation for several weeks, after making a post on Facebook that mentioned killing people who are “rioting, looting, attacking innocent people, and burning the city down.”
Recommended Videos
BCSO deputy on administrative leave after making ‘troubling Facebook post’ about riots, Salazar says
Silva’s peace officer’s license was withdrawn and he was forced to turn in his badge, credentials, and county property after BCSO officials became aware of the now-deleted post.
Confirmation of Silva’s proposed termination comes the same day Sheriff Javier Salazar warned rank and file deputies via email that before posting anything on social media they should ask themselves if it’s something they would be happy to be held accountable for on the 5 o’clock news.
“What you might think is cute, funny, or insightful, some might find offensive, especially in today’s climate,” Salazar wrote via email.
Silva’s proposed termination paperwork was served to the president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County, since Silva was not available to receive it, a BCSO spokesperson said.
Salazar issued the following statement Friday night:
“It’s despicable that this post promoted the exact type of violence our country is railing against. Our swift and severe actions to move towards termination should send a clear message that we won’t stand for it.”
Silva’s post came during a period of continued civil unrest in the United States following the killing of George Floyd by a now-fired Minneapolis police officer.
Protests turned into riots in San Antonio on multiple occasions after Floyd’s death, as more than a dozen people were arrested.
The protests, however, have remained peaceful the past several weeks and San Antonio officials removed a curfew for the downtown business district June 6.