Philadelphia Police Officer Getting Heat For His ‘Nazi Tattoo’

A Facebook post went viral after it showed a Philadelphia police officer's "Nazi" tattoo while he was patrolling. Now, people are asking for him to be fired.

The post shows Officer Ian Hans Lichtermann with a tattoo on his left forearm that resembles a spread-winged eagle, a symbol used by the Nazis, with the word "Fatherland" tattooed above it.

Once the photo circulated online, people were outraged the police department allowed him to patrol and display what some consider an offensive, hateful and discriminatory tattoo. Some people also feel the officer should be fired for having it.

Reportedly, the police department has no policy about the way officers wear and display tattoos, which explains why the tattoos were visible. Due to the outrage, the situation is being reviewed by Internal Affairs.

The city's mayor, Jim Kenney, released a statement on Thursday afternoon addressing the issue, stating:

"The department does not condone anything that can be interpreted as offensive, hateful or discriminatory in any form,"[sic] "This is a very sensitive topic for both the citizens that we serve as well as the officers providing service to the public. We must ensure that all constitutional rights are adhered to while at the same time ensuring public safety and public trust aren't negatively impacted."

Meanwhile, John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, commented on the photo saying, "I've seen it. It's an Eagle. Not a big deal." (Philly.com)

Keep in mind, this police officer displayed his tattoos during a Black Resistance March held during the Democratic National Convention...not exactly the best time.

Personally, it is your body and you get to decide what you want tattooed. A tattoo is an expression of yourself and your beliefs.

BUT as a police officer, knowing a tattoo like this still negatively hits a chord for many people in this county, that was not your brightest move. Some sort of action needs to be done, either the police department revises their tattoo policy, or Officer Lichtermann is fired.

I will admit now, I do not believe he should be fired, but I do believe he needs to cover it up. There are many factors to consider such as the sort of person he is. If it was just poor taste in judgement, he should not be fired. If he's had a history dealing with discrimination, shows poor character, etc., his firing should be considered.

On another note I asked Mike about the spread-winged eagle since he is well versed in German history. He mentioned the spread-winged eagle was originally used throughout German history, but Nazis adopted the symbol during their control. So, while it does have Nazi ties, it also represents Germany as a country.

What are your thoughts?

Source: Philly.com | NJ.com