ATLANTA — A Georgia sheriff's office is responding to criticism of its captain and longtime public information officer following comments and at least one Facebook post that he is believed to have made.
The statement released by Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds on Thursday appears to reference comments made at Wednesday's press conference by Captain Howard Jay Baker.
Social media and other outlets had begun to criticize Baker for describing shooting suspect Robert Aaron Long as "pretty much fed up and kind of at the end of his rope" and saying that Tuesday "was a really bad day for him and this is what he did."
"Comments made by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Captain Jay Baker have become the subject of much debate and anger," Sheriff Reynolds said. "In as much as his words were taken or construed as insensitive or inappropriate, they were not intended to disrespect any of the victims, the gravity of this tragedy, or express empathy or sympathy for the subject."
"There are simply no words to describe the degree of human suffering experienced on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in our community and in Atlanta," the sheriff added. "Captain Baker had a difficult task before him, and this was one of the hardest in his twenty-eight years in law enforcement."
The sheriff continues on that Baker's "personal ties to the Asian community and his unwavering support and commitment to the citizens of Cherokee County are well known to many" and that the sheriff's office "regrets any heartache Captain Baker's words may have caused."
The statement, however, does not appear to address posts, made last year on Facebook, that appear to be from Baker promoting a T-shirt with racist language about China and the coronavirus.
As the Associated Press reported, the Facebook Account features numerous photos of Baker going back months. It also displays one post from March 2020 including a T-shirt and the message, "Place your order while they last."
Baker didn't respond to requests from the AP for comment and the sheriff's office has not responded to specific requests for information regarding these posts.
However, a message released by the county's communication director suggests that Baker is no longer the point of contact for the deadly shooting.