Elgin Officer Fired After Investigation Into Facebook Post

A suburban Chicago police officer was fired Monday because of Facebook posts he allegedly made.

Jason A. Lentz was a 17-year veteran of the Elgin Police Department. In a statement, Police Chief Jeffrey Swoboda said Lentz was fired after it was determined the officer engaged in conduct that "would undermine the credibility of the city or employees."

In one Facebook post, Lentz allegedly said Missouri police officer Darren Wilson "did society a favor'' when he shot and killed Michael Brown. The shooting prompted several days of unrest. Another post praised a parent's decision to keep a child out of school on Veterans Day, noting schools are closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Lentz and his attorney, Timothy D. O'Neil, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The former officer was the first Elgin officer to be placed on administrative leave when the action was taken against him last month. The leave marked the fourth time that Lentz had his police powers stripped as a in an official action, according to information received through the FOIA request.

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