Sanford police officer fired, accused of posting racial comments on Facebook

SANFORD, Fla. — A Sanford police officer was fired after being accused of posting racially charged comments on Facebook.

Vanessa Knode's racy photos she posted online aren't the only posts that got attention on her personal Facebook page.

Last October she posted, " N***a be acting like their s*** don't stink. They should be bowing down to us. F*** that!!! I'm in the mood to put n***as on blast lol."

Another police officer saw the post and told his superiors.

"The 'n' word, definitely, that's inappropriate because you have to teach people," said Sanford resident Sheka Greene.

Investigators also learned of her second mistake, again on Facebook, after she shared with that she used her patrol car to take her children to school.

She said her personal car wouldn't start, but when investigators asked her if she she'd do anything differently, she said, "Yeah, not post it on Facebook."

"I don't really think she should have gotten fired for that. I don't think it's justified," said Sanford resident Debbe Nell.

Police officials said in some circumstances, it's OK for officers to use their patrol cars to drive family members around, and it's not against policy for officers to have personal social media accounts. But what they say and do can get them in trouble.

The acting police chief said he stands by his decision to fire the former stay-at-home mom, even though she's a first-time officer who hadn't been in trouble before.

No one answered when Channel 9's Bianca Castro went by her last known address.

Knode, 28, will get a chance to appeal her firing. She made about $36,000 a year and had only been with the department for a year.

WFTV