A part-time police officer in Benton County has been terminated over Facebook comments the department says violates its social media policy.
Those comments, which had been shared by more than 900 users as of Tuesday afternoon, included the officer, identified by the Bethel Heights Police Department as David Hastings, commenting on the Black Lives Matter movement.
In a statement shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, Bethel Heights police said Hastings had been fired effective immediately.
"To maintain the integrity of our officers and our department, please understand the views expressed were views of Mr. Hastings and not of the Bethel Heights officers or department," the agency in northwest Arkansas wrote on its Facebook page.
One post includes Hastings stating that unarmed black men are killed at a higher rate "because they do not comply."
"I don't care about the population... The fact is you are 80% more likely to do something something to show your a-- when you are approached by police. Whites just don't do it as often," the comment reads in part.
Another comment showed Hastings providing tips for "how to stay alive" when around him while he is on duty. Those included not putting hands in pockets or pants, stopping when told to, turning off cellphones to avoid "extra recording" and not pointing a gun at him regardless of whether it is fake.