The media missed this one! The Lancaster police chief was forced to retire at the end of September after the mayor took issue with comments his wife made on Facebook in support of President Donald Trump’s re-election.

John Fiorill, a former president of the local Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), said that Lancaster Police Chief Jarrad Berkihiser was asked to resign on Sept. 30 because his wife had shown support for President Trump when he visited a nearby airport a day earlier.

Now-former Chief Berkihiser’s wife, posting under her own personal Facebook account “Kristy Lynne,” commented on a post made by somebody who was at the Trump campaign rally at Harrisburg International Airport on Sept. 29.

“I can’t begin to explain the energy & enthusiasm in the crowd for our country & for America, and for the President who wants to build on the foundation of the Constitution, honor our forefathers, protect the unborn, respect our military & law enforcement and keep American the land of the FREE & the home of the brave!!” the original poster wrote after attending the airport welcome, along with pictures from the event.

“Awesome,” Chief Berkihiser’s wife commented.

“He spoke so much of law enforcement officers and his respect and thankfulness for them,” the original poster replied to the police chief’s wife.

“Why I’m voting for him again. Same reason as last time.” Kristy Lynne wrote.

WATH:

The former head of the police union told WHTM that those Facebook comments by Chief Berkihiser were all it took for Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace to ask for his resignation.

“This was an unjust situation that he was placed in, a clear violation of his rights,” Fiorill said. “He was advised by the mayor that she wanted his resignation, based on those statements made on Facebook, not by Chief Berkihiser, but by Chief Berkihiser’s wife.”

He said the chief went straight to the FOP for legal guidance and they had him talk to the union’s attorney, WHTM reported.

“He retired under his conditions, not the conditions of the mayor, not a termination. That’s exactly what he wanted to avoid and he wanted to avoid that turmoil,” Fiorill explained.

Fiorill said the mayor’s termination of former Chief Berkihiser was political. “Which in my opinion is totally unjust and unfair, not only to Jarrad Berkihiser, but it’s an insult to law enforcement officers because Jarred dedicated his life and his career to serving the citizens of Lancaster city,” the former union boss told WHTM.

He said that in the past, the mayor called her police chief “a hidden jewel with in the city” and said he’s disappointed with the way former Chief Berkihiser was treated after so many years of service to the citizens of Lancaster, WGAL reported.

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