Hoover Police Officer Fired Over Social Media Post

HOOVER, AL — A Hoover police officer has been fired after posting a photo on social media that depicted a protester in the crosshairs of a rifle scope. Officer Ryan Snow was fired Friday, according to a statement by Chief Nick Derzis.

Snow's Facebook post Tuesday showed a protester in Atlanta in the crosshairs of a rifle scope, and was captioned by Snow with, "Exhale. Feel. Pause. Press steadily. That’s what’s next."

Derzis said Snow admitted to posting the image when confronted about it.

"When I saw the post and the image, it sickened me,” Derzis said. "It certainly did not adhere to the standards expected of every officer who wears our uniform. This type of conduct will not be tolerated in our department and is not representative of the professionalism expected by all of our officers."

While most of the rallies supporting Black Lives Matter in the metro Birmingham area have been peaceful and have not included arrests, some of the protests and demonstrations in Hoover have resulted in arrests and police intervention. Approximately 50 people have been arrested by Hoover police during protests in the city over the last few weeks.