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Vital Remains

Police officer Andrew Ricks ended his career in Sanford by taking the stage last week and singing "Let the Killing Begin" in full uniform while backed up by Vital Remains, a death metal band.



Ricks already had notified the city of his intention to resign effective Friday, but Police Chief Cecil B. Smith relieved him of his duties Wednesday morning, records show.



"An incident of this nature erodes the thin fibers of trust which already exist between the community and the police and it will not tolerated within the Sanford Police Department," Smith said in a statement released Thursday.



Ricks was on duty when he sang at the West End Trading Co., a venue on the shore of Lake Monroe in Sanford, according to police.



Someone in the audience sent a video of Ricks' performance to the police department late Tuesday.

Several days ago we told you about the uniformed police officer who joined Rhode Island death metal bandon stage last Friday in Sanford, Florida to help introduce a song. As originally expressed, I had a feeling this wouldn't end well for the officer, and indeed, it has not.Today the Orlando Sentinel reports that officer Andrew Ricks has been relieved of duty for the act:Ricks has declined comment on the matter thus far, but Vital Remains frontman Brian Werner said, "This is exactly what's wrong with the world today."