Viral cop photo removed amid complaint against officer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WOGX FOX 51) - A Florida police department has removed a widely-shared Facebook photo of three officers who had been praised for their good looks amid an investigation into a complaint against one of the men.
Gainesville police say in a statement that several people have brought information to the department's attention regarding a complaint against Officer Michael Hamill, the bearded officer at the center of the group selfie.
"Officer Hamill has been suspended with pay," said police spokesman Ben Tobias.
The department hasn't disclosed the nature of the complaint, but The Gainesville Sun reports screen shots sent to the newspaper show anti-Semitic posts on Hamill's personal Facebook page. The Sun reports the posts were made in 2011 and 2013.
"The Gainesville Police Department prides itself with our philosophy and mission of compassion, inclusion, and respect and will fully review the matter," Tobias added.
Hamill's selfie produced more than 100,000 comments after it was posted to the Gainesville police Facebook page on Sunday.