Illinois Police Officer Resigns After White Supremacist Posts Surface Online

A veteran police officer in Illinois resigned Tuesday after researchers linked him to a deluge of violent and bigoted social media posts that glorified Adolf Hitler and hate crimes.

The resignation of Springfield Police Division Officer Aaron Paul Nichols, 46, got here shortly after his division introduced an investigation into the posts, first surfaced by Nameless Comrades Collective (ACC), a gaggle of anti-fascist researchers.

“If I discovered a genie and I had one want? The Jews can be a distant reminiscence in 72 hours,” one of many posts allegedly written by Nichols reads.

The Springfield Police Division stated on Friday that it had launched an investigation into Nichols’ “racist feedback,” and that his “police powers had been eliminated.” On Tuesday, the division advised HuffPost in an announcement that Nichols, who joined the division in 2004, resigned as a substitute of assembly with investigators.

Officer Aaron Nichols resigned after his division introduced an investigation into racist social media posts linked to him.

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“The Springfield Police Division is dedicated to an entire and thorough investigation into the feedback and actions of Aaron Nichols, no matter his resignation,” the assertion stated.

This newest revelation comes amid rising concern by the FBI that legislation enforcement has been infiltrated by white supremacists.

Nichols didn't reply to repeated requests for remark from HuffPost.

An Avalanche Of Hate

Nichols was first recognized final Thursday by ACC, the group of researchers that tracks down white supremacists and neo-Nazis. The group beforehand helped HuffPost in its report first figuring out Andrew Casarez, the chief of a Dylann Roof-worshipping neo-Nazi group.

Nichols left a path of breadcrumbs resulting in his unmasking, together with sharing particulars about his household, his time within the police pressure and his location. A number of racist posts on Twitter below the account title “SPD584” had been traced to a Periscope account with the identical deal with, and which included his full authorized title. Researchers had been capable of join the Twitter account to an account on the far-right social media web site Gab with the identical title. On Gab, the place extremism and hate speech proliferate, Nichols shared a photograph of his partially obscured face in one in all his nameless posts.

Aaron Nichols has resigned from the Springfield Police Division on Tuesday after his racist social media posts surfaced.

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“Once I seize energy, ‘hate crimes’ shall be inspired,” the Gab account researchers linked to Nichols stated.

A lot of Nichols’ alleged posts focus on killing Black and Jewish folks, the identical folks he had sworn to guard for practically twenty years. (Be aware: A number of of the quoted posts embrace uncensored racial slurs.)

“I've metallic stamps. I feel I’ll simply stamp 14/88 into each nigger quarter I get,” one other of the Gab posts learn. “Straightforward.”

The quantity 14 refers to a white supremacist slogan, and 88 refers to “HH,” or “Heil Hitler.”

“Niggers damage all the things,” one other submit learn. “Even when it’s White doing the stealing they’re seemingly promoting the meat to blaq [sic] run eating places or buying and selling it to niggers for dope. Actual speak.”

Springfield, the capital metropolis of Illinois, has a inhabitants of roughly 115,000 folks, and SPD has simply over 200 officers on its police pressure. Black residents signify 20% of the inhabitants, in line with the 2020 Census.

Together with Black folks, posts linked to Nichols additionally expressed a deep hatred for Jews.

“I’ll say it in English. I'm a supporter of as many holocausts because it takes to cleanse this world of talmudic affect,” a submit that has been archived learn.

One other submit stated “Hitler did nothing improper,” and one other mentioned how the person advised a neighbor at a Christmas get together that he didn’t consider the Holocaust occurred.

Members of the Illinois legislature wrote a letter Monday calling for an unbiased investigation into Nichols.

“It could be disturbing sufficient to know somebody with these views was dwelling in your group,” the letter stated. “However to study that such an individual is exercising authority over the very folks he declares his hatred for is terrifying.”

In a single submit linked to Nichols final 12 months, the person expressed delight at being a cop.

“I despise the federal government and have for practically 3 a long time,” the submit learn. “The perfect place I can presumably be is contained in the beast. I’ve completed a number of good in my careers.”