It's supposed to be satire. But a recent Onion article on the Phoenix Police Department was "too real" for some.

The satirical website published an article claiming the Phoenix Police Department hired "local man Rod Cleighborn" after he posted a "racist rant on social media."

The piece was a take on one of Phoenix police's scandals this year. A number of current and retired Phoenix officers posted racist and inflammatory comments on their Facebook accounts.

The Phoenix Police Department has said it is investigating officers identified in a database called the Plain View Project, which was made public in June. The project found 179 posts from 97 current and former Phoenix officers. Many endorsed violence, in some cases against Mexicans, Muslims, women and criminal defendants.

'His values are very much in line with this department’

The Onion piece said the Phoenix Police Department hired Cleighborn because he is "a perfect fit for our organization."

“'Our newly hired officer made comments on Facebook that celebrate police brutality, degrade minorities, and disparage immigrants, indicating his values are very much in line with this department’s, said Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Tommy Thompson,' " the article alleges.

The piece goes on to attribute another quote to Thompson: “'Rest assured that as soon as we were informed of his hateful and deeply bigoted remarks, we took quick and decisive action to ensure he was offered a job. Acts of racism such as these will not go unrewarded.'”

The quotes are not real, of course. But Thompson is.

Thompson, a spokesman for the Police Department, was not interviewed by the Onion, police officials said.

Phoenix police told The Arizona Republic that they are aware of the satirical article.

"The Phoenix Police Department did not participate in this story, nor did Sgt. Thompson provide the quote," said Sgt. Vince Lewis in an email.

'Frighteningly close to the truth'

On social media, users said the piece was too close to reality.

On Twitter, a user identified as @johnl404 commented on the piece saying, "Unfortunately, this satirical article is frighteningly close to the truth."

Another user, @davidsinsky, sarcastically responded to the Onion, "I thought you guys did satire only."

On Facebook, the article received a similar reception.

A Facebook user who goes by the name Shawn Seeverud said, "I find the lack of satire in this article disturbing."

'Ghetto neighbors' and 'Gay Muslim husband'

Besides the Phoenix Police Department, the investigation into Facebook posts also examined police departments in St. Louis; Philadelphia; Dallas; York, Pennsylvania; Twin Falls, Idaho; Denison, Texas; and Lake County, Florida.

The Plain View project created a database that showed the Facebook posts were "replete with racist imagery and memes, and in some cases long, vitriolic exchanges involving multiple officers."

Phoenix Officer Ryan Nielsen, a 15-year veteran, wrote a Facebook post in March 2010 complaining about his "ghetto neighbors" having a party and making a lot of noise.

In the comment exchange with someone else, Nielsen wrote that he planned to buy a shotgun but that his AR — presumably referring to the AR-15 firearm — would help protect his house. He also said in the comment section that he may call the Sheriff's Office and report the residence may be a drop house, a term used by law enforcement to describe a property where smugglers house undocumented immigrants as they await payments.

Officer David Pallas, who has been with the department since 1987, uploaded a meme on June 2016 critical of the Obamas. The meme depicts Michelle Obama with a quote that says, "Every single day I wake up in a house that was built by slaves..." Underneath it, there's a picture of famed actor John Wayne with a caption that says, "THEN GET OUT! AND TAKE YOUR GAY MUSLIM HUSBAND WITH YOU."

That same month, Pallas posted another meme depicting the Quran with a caption that read: "HOW ABOUT BANNING THIS. IT OFFENDS ME!!"

Phoenix Police Officer Joshua Ankert wrote, "CONGRATULATIONS GEORGE ZIMMERMAN!!! Thank you for cleaning up our community one thug at a time," in July 2013, the day after a jury in Florida acquitted Zimmerman of murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Uriel Garcia covers public-safety issues in Arizona. Reach him at uriel.garcia@azcentral.com. Follow him on Twitter @ujohnnyg. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.