BOULDER COUNTY–An Erie police officer is out of a job after posting an anti-ICE comment condoning violence on social media, seeming to encourage the murder of federal immigration officers.
Erie is a statutory town of around 40,000 residents straddling both Weld and Boulder counties in northern Colorado.
Haili Hazel-Shimko, was engaging in a social media post in late January when she told another individual online that shooting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the head is the most effective way to kill them.
Shimko was replying to a comment that reads, “Good way to get a couple holes in their chest,” in reference to ICE agents. Shimko replied, “They wear armor so headshots would work better” (see Figure 1).
Fig. 1. Click to enlarge
The Erie officer was entering her sixth year on the force, and was even given the “Top Gun” achievement award during her time at the police academy in 2019.
Soon after Shimko posted her comment, a resident reported her actions to the Erie Police Department. On Jan. 25, the department opened an internal investigation involving human resources, Erie town management, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) due to the threatening nature of Shimko’s comments.
The police department issued a statement on Feb. 3 announcing Shimko is no longer employed with the agency after finding multiple violations of internal policies.
“As this is a personnel issue, we can confirm the officer is no longer employed with the Erie Police Department,” the town’s public information officer told Complete Colorado. It remains unclear whether Shimko quit or was fired.
The Erie Police Department denied Complete Colorado’s requests for a record of the investigation.
Shimko has since removed her social media accounts.