Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan fired a staffer who praised the vigilante who allegedly killed two people during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Arthur “Mac” Love IV, the former deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, was relieved of his duties on Saturday, according to the nonprofit news website Maryland Matters.
“These divisive images and statements are inconsistent with the mission and core values of the Office of Community Initiatives,” Steven J. McAdams, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, said in a statement. “Earlier today, I relieved this employee of his duties. Kevin Craft, administrative director of the Governor’s Commission on African Affairs, will assume these duties effective immediately.”
Shareese DeLeaver-Churchill, a spokeswoman for Hogan, said the governor supports Love’s termination.
“These posts are obviously totally inappropriate,” she said. “We fully support the immediate actions taken by Director McAdams to address this matter.”
Love, in the days before his dismissal, had been posting and sharing comments that were supportive of Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, who has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and possession of a dangerous weapon.
In one post from Love, a white police officer was giving two thumbs up, and it had the caption, “Don’t be a thug if you can’t take a slug!” Another one depicts Leonardo DiCaprio raising a glass of champagne with the caption, “When you see a skateboard wielding Antifa chickens*** get smoked by an AR toting 17-yr-old.”
Rittenhouse lives in Antioch, Illinois, where he was arrested. He traveled across state lines into Kenosha, Wisconsin. He told Daily Caller video editor Richie McGinness prior to the shooting that he was there to protect businesses from being looted. The violence and destruction began after a policeman shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, whom law enforcement was trying to apprehend. Rusten Sheskey, the officer who was allegedly involved in the incident, has since been placed on administrative leave.
