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Gainesville Police Officers Go Viral With Hurricane Irma Post

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Gainesville Police Department/Facebook This photo of three Gainesville Police officers has gone viral. Hamill is in the middle.

Three police officers with the Gainesville Police Department in Florida posted a selfie in the wake of Hurricane Irma and it’s got the Internet hot and bothered.

The innocent post, shared on Sunday, had been shared more than 170,000 times. It was initially the 100,000-plus comments that have gotten the most attention. However, the attention has now taken a negative turn after it was revealed that one of the three cops in the selfie is the subject of a complaint alleging his Facebook page contained anti-Semitic posts. You can read more about that controversy involving Officer Michael Hamill here.

Police deleted the viral selfie and wrote on their website, “Several citizens have brought information to our attention regarding a complaint against Officer Hamill. GPD is reviewing the allegation and will do so in accordance to Florida law and department policy. Under Florida Law, complaint information is confidential until an investigation is concluded.The Gainesville Police Department prides itself with our philosophy and mission of compassion, inclusion, and respect and will fully review the matter.”

Initially, it all seemed lighthearted. Before the controversy emerged with Hamill, the Gainesville Police Department responded:

UPDATE:
1. We are dying with the comments. You’ve actually made our chief blush with some of them.
2. MRS. Nordman and MRS. Hamill have also enjoyed knowing how millions of women are going crazy over their husbands.
3. We can confirm that Officer Rengering (far right with the amazing hair) IS SINGLE.
4. On another note, Officer Rengering is being placed into Cougar Prey Protective Care, similar to the witness protection program for his safety.
5. Please do not call 9-1-1 and request this group respond to your “incident”
6. There WILL be a calendar.

Thank you all for the hilarious comments…they have brightened our time up here. As for the calendar, we are going to try and do something fairly quickly and funds raised will go to Hurricane Irma recovery here in Florida.

Not to be outdone, the Sarasota Police Department posted this picture:

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Three police officers with the Gainesville Police Department in Florida posted a selfie in the wake of Hurricane Irma and it's got the Internet hot and bothered.