CLAY COUNTY, Mo. — A Clay County sheriff's deputy remains on paid administrative leave after being accused of sharing a since-deleted racially disparaging meme.
Sarah Boyd, spokeswoman for Clay County Sheriff's Office confirmed Deputy Tom Butkovich was placed on leave Friday and that the department's Professional Standards Unit has launched an investigation into the allegations.
The meme displayed a fake image of President Donald Trump holding a gun out a car window with the words, "Time to put the 'panic' back in Hispanic."
The post was made shortly after agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted an immigration and warrant operation Friday at El Potro in Liberty.
"We strongly condemn any actions by our employees that have the potential to erode public trust in our agency," reads a statement from the Clay County Sheriff's Office. "We pride ourselves on the relationships we have built with all segments of our community, and anything that damages those is of serious concern and will be handled accordingly. We want to assure members of our Hispanic community that they will be treated fairly and with respect during any contact with the Clay County Sheriff's Office."
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The meme was shared to the Facebook group Discover KC, according to the sheriff's spokesperson.
While the original post appears to be deleted, several people who follow the page noticed it was posted by Butkovich and took screenshots of it.
Butkovich was hired in August 2021. He currently serves as a detective in the investigative unit.
Through the county spokeswoman, Sheriff William Akin denied KSHB's request for an interview, citing the investigation being a personnel matter.
Boyd said the investigation should be complete next week.
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