The Marquette Heights Police Department is apologizing for a Facebook post depicting a handcuffed Hillary Clinton in the back seat of a city-marked squad car.

The department didn’t make the post, which popped up on the department’s Facebook page via a tag from a vendor that worked on the car. That vendor created a digitally altered image to show Clinton apparently arrested by Marquette Heights cops.

After fielding complaints, the department made the following post Sunday: “We need to APOLOGIZE for a post last week that some people were offended by. The intent of the post was to introduce Humor and Sarcasm into the lives of the people who follow this page. We may have succeed with a laugh for some but there were others who were offended. Again, we say SORRY!, and hope you accept our APOLOGY and continue to follow our page.”

For the holidays, the police SUV recently underwent a wrapping: In that process, a vehicle is covered with a temporary, non-damaging vinyl wrap. The actual wrapping, done by Central Image Wraps of Bloomington, depicts a chagrined Grinch locked up in the back of the vehicle.

Police Chief Bradd Elliott says the wrap was intended as a Christmastime lark for the community. The department’s Facebook page, which is maintained by Elliott and a lieutenant, posted a photo of the new wrap Wednesday. The department’s fanciful commentary explained that the Grinch had been captured and then “secured inside the vehicle” as a precaution: “The Grinch will remain there until after Christmas to ensure all of central Illinois a Grinch-free Christmas.”

However, on Wednesday, photos of the car also appeared on the Facebook pages of Central Image Wraps and company owner Roy Wraps. In addition to shots of the car during the process, the post included a final photo altered digitally to show a wide-eyed Clinton, in handcuffs and in the back seat. The caption reads, “Wish Donald J. Trump could make this happen.”

That post was tagged to the page for Marquette Heights police. The post prompted complaints to the department, including this one: “Not everyone is a Trump supporter in this community. As public servants (I am one too) you really shouldn’t force your political beliefs on us all as part of your job. Your tasteless Clinton picture made a lot of us feel alienated.”

To that, the departmental page replied, “What was forced on you? And what did anything have to do with Trump? Where did you see any Trump support?”

Elliott says he eventually decided to remove the tag so the post, photos and comments could no longer be seen. The page always carries the warning, “Any profanity, racist remarks or other offensive remarks will be deleted from our page. We also reserve the right to ban you from commenting on our site.”

Sunday, the apology was issued.

“We’ve been trying to do damage control,” Elliott tells me. “… Some people thought it was funny, but we are not going to go into a battlefield to do political stuff.”

At Central Image, owner Wraps told me the gesture was all in fun, though he admits distaste for Clinton.

“It’s funny. It’s humor,” he says. “Everybody I know hates her. I can’t find two people who like her.”

His shenanigans earned allies Monday among commentators to the department’s Facebook apology:

* “Does the police station also double as a ‘safe place’ for those that are easily offended?”

* “For those who were offended, go buy yourselves some adult coloring books and a pacifier and suck it!”

* “The little liberal snowflakes must have gotten their wittle feewings hurt.”

But Wraps says not everyone enjoys his brand of comedy.

“People on Facebook have threatened to burn down my shop,” he says.

PHIL LUCIANO is a Journal Star columnist. He can be reached at pluciano@pjstar.com, facebook.com/philluciano and (309) 686-3155. Follow him on Twitter.com/LucianoPhil.