Ariana Sawyer

asawyer@tennessean.com

Metro police officer Anthony Venable was decommissioned Thursday after he made a Facebook post referencing the police-involved shooting in Falcon Heights, Minn., pending the results of an internal investigation.

"Yeah. I would have done 5," Venable wrote during a Facebook conversation, according to police in a statement Thursday evening.

The comment appeared to reference the number of shots in the Minnesota case in which Philando Castile, 32, was killed in a police-involved shooting.

“The police department is treating this matter very seriously and took immediate action, regardless of what he claims the context to have been,” Police Chief Steve Anderson said.

Venable, an eight-year MNPD veteran and Hermitage Precinct midnight shift officer, said the post was meant to be sarcastic.

Hermitage Precinct supervisors became aware of the post at 3 p.m. Thursday, police said — about three hours before Anderson released a statement addressing the fatal police-involved shootings of two black men: Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, La., and Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn.

“I am extremely concerned and disturbed by the videos and the accounts we have heard thus far coming from Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights," Anderson said in that statement.

Fraternity of Police Vice President Mark Woodfin said he couldn't address Venable's Facebook comment while the investigation is still ongoing but said he sent a message reminding officers to be mindful of the comments they make.

In Memphis, two police officers also were decommissioned Friday for posts they made on social media, according to The Commercial Appeal.

The image that MPD interim director Michael Rallings said was posted on the social media site Snapchat shows a picture of what appears to be a white person pointing a gun at a cartoon image of a black child running through a home.

"At this point two MPD officers have been relieved of duty," Rallings said. "The image is disgusting and will not be tolerated. We will conduct a thorough investigation and the individuals responsible will be held accountable."

Memphis police officers suspended for social media posts

Police chief: Don't judge MNPD by recent La., Minn. police shootings

In Louisiana, officers said Sterling had a gun during the incident in the parking lot of a convenience store, representing an active threat to police officers.

In an unrelated shooting captured on video Wednesday, Castile was shot by police in Falcon Heights during a traffic stop while reaching for his driver's license.

"Our training emphasizes the sanctity of human life," Anderson said. "I have confidence in the men and women working to protect the people of this city, their moral ethic, the skills they possess, and their ability to make appropriate decisions in difficult situations."

He said officers receive over 220 hours in use of force instruction, including de-escalation skills.

The Commercian Appeal contributed to this report. Reach Ariana Sawyer at 615-815-5933 and on Twitter @a_maia_sawyer.