A Denver police officer was fired for captioning a photo of himself in tactical gear with 'Let's start a riot' during George Floyd protests

• A new Denver police officer was fired after posting a photo of himself and two other officers in tactical gear with the caption "Let's start a riot."
• The post was made as officers around the country were responding to protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
• The post was determined to be in violation of the department's social media policy as it could impair the department's "working relationships."

The Denver Police Department fired Officer Thomas McClay, who shared a photo of himself and two others in tactical gear with the caption "Let's start a riot."

The post, which came in the middle of the George Floyd protests, was found to be in violation of the department's social media policy as it had the potential to impair "working relationships," or the performance of their duties, officials told CBS Denver.

"Today a young, probationary Denver Police officer was terminated for posting an inflammatory, insensitive, and quite frankly, misguided photograph on social media," the Denver Police Protective Association told the station in a statement. "For the other 1,600 Denver Police officers who are left dealing with a very difficult situation, we ask the public, as well as elected city officials, to stop using social media to fan the flames of hatred."

McClay joined the department in October after graduating from the police academy, according to CBS Denver. The photo he posted on Instagram had been screenshot and shared on a variety of social media platforms in arguments about police violence during the protests.

The officer's firing on Tuesday came as hundreds of people once again gathered in Denver for another round of anti-police brutality protests.

The same day, Colorado State Rep. Leslie Herod and Senate Majority Leroy Garcia announced they were introducing a bill to remove police officers' immunity from prosecution, CBS Denver reported.

The County Sheriffs of Colorado, the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police, and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police have also asked state lawmakers to make it a crime when officers fail to intervene in cases of excessive force, CBS Denver reported.

A video showing the death of Floyd at the hands of a white police officer has sparked global outrage and more than a week of protests.

On Monday, the Trump administration called for the unprecedented use of military force to suppress protests, and world leaders have expressed concern over the tumultuous state of the nation.

Throughout the last week, there have been many documented incidents of police officers, some in tactical gear, deploying tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and members of the media.

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