A Belding, Mich., firefighter has been fired after allegedly posting racist remarks to Facebook over the weekend, Fox 17 reports.
According to the report, the incident started when Ryan Hudson got into a verbal altercation with a black woman on the social media site. The woman, who did not want to be identified, told Fox 17 that the argument started after she commented on a status agreeing with football player Colin Kaepernick's right to take a knee during the national anthem.
The victim then wrote "Black Lives Matter" on the post, and then Hudson lashed out.
"You are the true epitome of a [n—ger]," Hudon apparently wrote. "All lives matter. And if you think it's just black lives kiss my ass bitch and go back to the fields that us in the north fought to free you from."
Hudson later claimed that he was hacked, before saying that he was drunk, according to the victim.
"He's now claiming he was drunk. First he was hacked, now he’s drunk," said the victim.
The woman took screenshots of the exchange, drawing the attention of Fire Chief Greg Moore. Moore said that Hudson had been with the department for about a year.
"I've actually never had to fire someone," Moore said. "This is a first. My employees are excellent employees, and I've had nothing but the utmost respect for all of them. They do what they are supposed to do, and this is so out of the ordinary for a firefighter to do."
Moore said that he took quick action regarding the incident so as to ensure that there will be no question that his firefighters will do their job, regardless of the color of someone's skin.
"We don’t know it would have changed him from doing his job," the chief added. "But what are you going to do? We can’t take the chance. We have to treat everybody no matter what, and we want that to happen."
Read more at Fox 17.