A New Jersey police department deleted a lighthearted Facebook photo they uploaded during a recent snowstorm because people took offense to one of the officers making an “okay” hand gesture in the photo. According to some journalists, the “okay” sign is a symbol of Nazism and white supremacy.
According to NJ.com, the Matawan Police Department posted a photo on Facebook saying officers are devoted to keeping people safe during the blizzard. They also joked that some of their officers are “specifically trained ‘cuddlers’” who can help out if homes lose heat.
The photo was reportedly deleted after a person apparently complained about the “okay” sign (rather than the nature of officers claiming to be professional cuddlers).
The New York Post claims the officers offered an apology for trying to “have some fun.”
Monmouth County Police Chief Jason D. Gallo told NJ.com, “We try to keep it very cool, very lighthearted.”
NJ.com reports Gallo removed the post after someone complained about the hand gesture. Yahoo and other news outlets have recently fallen for an online 4chan hoax to try to associate the innocuous “okay” symbol with white supremacy—which was started in order to see how far the media was willing to go with crying “Nazi.”
Gallo said the officer actually intended to reference the “circle game,” a schoolyard game.
“The circle game, that kids play in school,” Gallo told NJ.com. “Someone tried to say it was something racial. It's just ridiculous.”
“Unfortunately something nice turned into us being in the news,” he explained. “That's why a lot of departments are not on social media.”
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(Image source: Joe Lodge, via Flickr)