St. Louis-area officer fired after Facebook comments on Ferguson protests

Story highlights

"These protesters should be put down like a rabid dog," the officer purportedly wrote

Glendale, Missouri, Officer Matthew Pappert was suspended a week ago

His chief cited "very concerning and inappropriate posts on his personal Facebook page"

Pappert's attorney issued a statement saying the officer was sorry

CNN  — 

A St. Louis-area police officer has been fired after making what his chief called “very concerning and inappropriate” Facebook comments on the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, according to a city official.

“These protesters should be put down like a rabid dog the first night,” Pappert wrote in one post, according to CNN affiliate KMOV. There were reportedly five inappropriate posts, KMOV said.

Pappert, a six-year veteran of the Glendale force, was originally suspended on August 22 after the comments came to light. An inquiry was initiated that day.

“Officer Pappert was dismissed following the conclusion of the investigation,” City Administrator Jaysen Christensen said. “Our focus at this point is to move past this, and turn the focus back to healing in … Ferguson.”

Glendale, like Ferguson, is a municipality in St. Louis County. The two suburbs are about 15 miles apart.

A week ago, Glendale Police Chief Jeffrey Beaton suspended Pappert and cited what he called the “inappropriate posts on his personal Facebook page,” according to the Webster-Kirkwood Times, an online news outlet in the area.

Police in the area have come under fire for their heavy-handed response to the Ferguson protests following Brown’s death.

An attorney for Pappert said his client was sorry for his online comments.

“Officer Pappert is deeply remorseful about what he posted on social media,” lawyer William Goldstein said. “We ask for (the) same spirit of forgiveness and the opportunity for redemption.”

Pappert was not the only police officer in the region suspended for comments that were perceived as offensive.

Dan Page, an officer with the St. Louis County Police Department, was caught on camera pushing CNN’s Don Lemon. He was placed on administrative leave after a video surfaced of him ranting about the Supreme Court and Muslims, among other things.

He also refers on the video to Barack Obama as “that illegal alien who claims to be our President.”

Complete coverage of Ferguson shooting and protests

CNN’s John Newsome, Greg Botelho and AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.