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.<\/p>\n
The Erie Police Department (EPD) has terminated<\/a> Officer Haili Hazel-Shimko after opening an internal investigation last week regarding a statement<\/a> 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 \u201cthey wear armor so headshots would work better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 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 \u201cAnyone promoting the m*rder of federal agents should NOT be in charge of enforcing our laws.\u201d 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<\/a> that occurred last Friday.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The EPD stated its commitment to \u201clawful, ethical and professional policing\u201d including an expectation to follow department directives, the public\u2019s trust, and the values of the police department. \u201cWe recognize that serving this community is a privilege, and we do not take that responsibility lightly,\u201d the EPD statement said.<\/p>\n