A detective in Tarpon Springs, Fla., has resigned after allegedly making a mass shooting threat against the police department headquarters.

Detective Steve Bergren allegedly told another detective on Aug. 5 that an "active shooter situation" would occur at the headquarters if he did not receive a requested assignment on the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office County-Wide Narcotics Task Force.

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After the comments were reported, Bergren claimed he was kidding in a note to the police chief but resigned Thursday before he could be fired, according to a statement from the police department obtained by The Hill.

The Tampa Bay Times, which first reported on the incident, said Bergren had apologized in his letter and described his close connections with the department.

“During the course of this conversation, I made a statement in jest referencing an active shooter,” the Tampa Bay Times reported Bergren wrote. “I never imagined when the statement was made that it would be perceived ... as a potential threat to our shared workplace."

The detective whom Bergren spoke to told officials the joke was made "in a stoic manner," sparking an internal investigation that put Bergren on paid leave initially, the police department statement said.

"Det. Bergren did submit a letter taking responsibility for the comment, advising that it was a statement made in 'Jest' but in reflection he realizes his attempt at humor was ill-advised," the statement said.

Another incident surfaced where the detective has allegedly made similar comments on May 10 regarding what would happen if he was not given a position he wanted on the task force. Those who heard those comments told officials that they were made "in a stoic manner," according to the statement. Those officers regarded the comments as a joke, according to the Times.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Standards Commission will take on the investigation. Bergren could face consequences regarding his state law enforcement officer certification, the statement from the department said.