Firefighter's Facebook post lands him under investigation

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A driveway burglary has already cost the victim more than the contents stolen from his vehicle.

A 33 year veteran of the Houston Fire Department, he is now under investigation for the comments and perceived threats he posted on his Facebook page, directed at the teenage burglars who broke into his truck.

The Facebook account is his own, but a profile picture and earlier posts identified him as a Houston firefighter. In the post, he describes them as Hispanic teenagers and threatens to "decease them" if he catches them. He also wrote "that hands up, don't shoot (expletive) doesn't work with me.

Houston Fire Chief Terry Garrison was informed of the post Tuesday and adopted a complaint. The firefighter was reassigned to administrative duty Tuesday, with no contact with the public pending an investigation.

The city of Houston has a social media policy which forbids city employees from posting questionable content that could be connected to their jobs. Depending on the infraction, it could affect their jobs, and ultimately, their employment.

"If you identify yourself as a firefighter by name, occupation or uniform, you're subject to being held accountable for any messages you send," says Capt. Ruy Lozano of the HFD public information office.

An internal investigation is underway now, and is being given high priority because of the nature of the Facebook post. The message has been pulled from his account.

The department will also investigate whether the account may have been hacked.

Missouri City police are investigating the burglary.