A Florida chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police posted on Facebook a recruiting ad this weekend asking officers who engaged in violent protests in Atlanta and Buffalo to apply to local agencies within the state, according to USA Today.
The ad has since been deleted from the social media site.
"Hey Buffalo 57... and Atlanta 6... we are hiring in Florida. Lower taxes, no spineless leadership, or dumb mayors rambling on at press conferences... Plus... we got your back! #lawandorderFlorida," reads the June 6 post made at 1:21 a.m. on the Brevard County FOP Facebook page.
The post, deleted sometime Monday morning garnered over 2,000 comments and 1,000 shares.
Brevard County FOP President Bert Gamin admitted the post was real and defended the organization's recruiting strategy. He also defended the behavior of the Atlanta and Buffalo police officers who were involved in violent incidents, including those who were arrested and have pending criminal charges in connection to those events.
Gamin has apologized for the post, writing in a statement to Florida Today, calling it "in poor taste and did not reflect the sentiment that I was trying to convey, nor that of the FOP."
It continued: "For that, I humbly apologize to all of you."
That apology came after Gamin defended the police action in the Atlanta and Buffalo incidents.
"Our citizens have a right to protest peacefully and legally," he wrote in response to emailed questions from Florida Today of the USA TODAY Network. "They do not have a right to block roadways, trespass on private property or disobey lawful commands from law enforcement officers."
The Buffalo police department had 57 of its officers quit a special unit after a video emerged of two of them pushing a 75-year-old man to the ground, which caused his skull to bleed after impact.
In Atlanta, six officers face criminal charges, including four felonies, after yanking a black man and woman from a car, tasing them and throwing them on the ground. One person suffered a broken wrist in the incident.
"The police had the legal authority in both cases," Gamin said. "At the time the warnings were provided, the citizens were already breaking the law. Those citizens chose to disregard the warnings. It led directly to escalations and confrontations with the police. When we issue lawful commands/warnings, citizens have a responsibility to comply. The reality is failure to comply leads to escalation.
"As it specifically relates to the elderly gentleman in Buffalo, he and others were repeatedly warned by the police to leave the area. They disobeyed the orders," he added. "Those Buffalo officers, like many across this nation, are being placed in absolute no-win situations. That field force unit was ordered to clear the area. They followed the orders they were given and followed their training."