iStock/Thinkstock(FORT MYERS, Fla.) — Officials in Florida are investigating a racist remark posted by a sheriff’s lieutenant’s wife’s Facebook account commenting on a video showing a brawl at a Florida mall.
The now-viral video, which shows a brawl at Edison Mall in Fort Myers, was posted on Facebook Sunday. In it, multiple women can be seen punching and kicking a woman who is curled in on herself, apparently trying to protect herself from repeated blows. However, it’s a comment on the video that’s now the subject of an investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
According to ABC affiliate WZVN-TV, Linda Deverso-Pakulis, the wife of Lt. Chip Pakulis of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, allegedly commented on the video, referring to those in the video as “filthy n——” and saying to “send them back to Africa.”
However, Deverso-Pakulis has since claimed her Facebook account “was compromised” and that someone posted the controversial comment under her name.
“Late last night someone posted under my name comments regarding an altercation that took place at the Edison Mall,” read a statement signed by Deverso-Pakulis on a different Facebook account. “As a result I notified Facebook that my account was compromised and I deactivated the account at that time. I am appalled about the comments that were made, neither I nor my family share these beliefs. As a result of this, after today, I will be removing myself from social media.”
Undersheriff Carmine Marceno addressed the post at a news conference, describing it as “racially inappropriate” and “hateful.”
“Initially [the remarks] appeared to be posted by the spouse of one of our LCSO employees. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office immediately looked into the matter and it appears that that post was the result of a hacked Facebook account,” Undersheriff Carmine Marceno said.
“Although there is no reason to believe any member, or even the wife of an agency member had any involvement in placing this disgraceful language online, because of the nature of this incident, we’re using an abundance of caution and we’re conducting an internal review of this incident,” Marceno said.
The entire post read: “Yep filthy n——! If they aren’t killing eachother in Lehigh then they are shopping and spending government money at the Edison! And they wonder why everyone picks on them? Watch the video! Send them back to Africa! World peace with then begin!”
As for the fight captured on camera, an investigation is underway.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.