Erie Police Officer Fired After Suggesting “Headshots” on ICE Law Enforcement Officers The Longmont Leader

The Erie Police Department (EPD) has terminated Officer Haili Hazel-Shimko after opening an internal investigation last week regarding a statement she made on social media about shooting ICE officers.

The Erie Police Department (EPD) has terminated Officer Haili Hazel-Shimko after opening an internal investigation last week regarding a statement she made on social media about shooting ICE officers. A resident submitted a complaint to the department the morning of Sunday, January 25. A screenshot shared by Libs of TikTok shows the officer stating “they wear armor so headshots would work better.”

The department statement this morning says they coordinated with Erie town management, human resources, and notified the FBI of the comment. After conducting a thorough investigation, the Chief concluded there were multiple violations of department directives.

The EPD has received a wave of comments on their social media posts calling for the officers arrest, including from Libs of TikTok, who said “Anyone promoting the m*rder of federal agents should NOT be in charge of enforcing our laws.” The statement comes at a time of heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement, including two civilian deaths in Minneapolis tied to the Department of Homeland Security and nationwide walkout protests that occurred last Friday.

The EPD stated its commitment to “lawful, ethical and professional policing” including an expectation to follow department directives, the public’s trust, and the values of the police department. “We recognize that serving this community is a privilege, and we do not take that responsibility lightly,” the EPD statement said.

Threats against ICE agents have increased by 8,000% according to DHS. US House Representative Gabe Evans, who represents most of Weld County, spoke at a December hearing against rhetoric that fuels attacks against law enforcement officers. Evans, a former Denver officer, talked about the dangers and difficulty of working in policing especially when there is rhetoric calling for violence against officers.