George Floyd protests: Georgia official say police should ‘shoot to kill’ demonstrators

An official in Georgia has apologised after he suggested police should “shoot to kill” George Floyd protesters in Milwaukee if “they continue to destroy.”

Bibb county commissioner Joe Allen wrote the comment on a television news outlet’s Facebook live stream showing damage caused during demonstrations against police brutality and institutionalised racism across the US.

“It’s now time to SHOOT to KILL them if they continue to destroy,” Mr Allen wrote on Facebook during the Fox 6 Milwaukee live stream.

According to The Macon Telegraph, the comment has since been deleted.

The commissioner was confronted on Twitter on Wednesday night with screenshots of his comments.

Mr Allen tweeted “Not me!” when one user asked him to resign over the “divisive comments on an article about racial unrest in Minneapolis.”

The person added: “These thoughtless words stoke the violence and support police brutality. We have no room for either in Bibb County.”

Mr Allen later apologised for his comments in a press statement, and said he regretted his choice of words.

“It was a poor choice, and I’m sincerely sorry for these hurtful comments. We should be working to help all people and making sure we are together.”

His comments come amid police clashes with protesters across the US after the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week.

Bibb County’s Sheriff, David Davis, walked alongside Macon residents on Tuesday during a solidarity march.

He said: “It’s important to show my support and solidarity with those folks that are just shocked, as we all are, just shocked and just troubled by what happened to George Floyd and others”.

The Macon Telegraph reported that Mr Allen was not running for re-election as commissioner.

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