Hillcrest Fire Chief Issues Apology Following Online Comments

A Broome County fire chief has posted an apology for his recent activity on Facebook following the protests after the death of George Floyd.

There was angry reaction online after Hillcrest Fire Chief Rick Larson shared a post that read: "Is it wrong to follow rioters home and burn down their property? Asking for a friend..."

Larson followed up by suggesting that "we should just start marking their houses so that everybody knows where they came from."

A statement posted on the Hillcrest Fire Company Facebook page indicated the board of directors was "looking into this matter."

Larson Tuesday posted a statement saying he "would like to personally apologize for my Facebook posts." He wrote that he believed they had been taken out out of context.

Larson wrote that he takes his "vows as a firefighter to save lives and property very seriously."

Larson said he has volunteered his time for the Hillcrest Fire Company for more than 21 years. He added that he supports "all the legal and peaceful protesting going on."

Hillcrest Fire Company officials were not available to comment on the matter Tuesday.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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