A New Orleans Democrat running for a seat on the local school board has suspended his campaign indefinitely in the wake of controversy over his Facebook posts that appear to support the shooting of police officers.
Attorney Morris "Moe" Reed Jr., who is on the Orleans Parish Democratic Committee, was running for the Orleans Parish School Board in Louisiana.
But remarks he posted on his Facebook page before he entered the race have raised eyebrows.
One of Reed's Facebook posts said, "Can we shoot police when they walk up to our cars now and say we feared for our lives? I think we have a valid point now."
He also shared an article from ABC News concerning Micah Johnson, the shooter of five police officers in Dallas, Texas in July. He added the comment, "RIP YOUNG SOLDIER. It's a shame but sometimes you have to fight evil with evil."
Debating with friends, he wrote, "Peaceful protest has been ignored for decades ... What do you think has them thinking now? burning buildings or police dying?"
Reed has defended his online comments to local media, while at the same time stressing he does not advocate violence against police.
"By no means do I advocate citizens killing at all. By no means do I advocate killing innocent people," Reed told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "That's just dumb. There's other ways to solve problems."
Reed said he was "not apologizing for my statement," but "I apologize if I offended anyone."
"Facebook isn't reality, and if you're going to take that stuff personally you shouldn't even be on social media," he added.
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On his Facebook page now, Reed says:
I woke up to 2 black men being killed by police on video and I was mad. I have a 1 year old black son that I'm raising in the deep south, I'm sure you understand even if you don't admit it. My post were sarcastic and meant to spark debate. My father is a retired NOPD officer and DEA agent, my uncle was one of the first black LA State troopers in New Orleans. By no means do I promote or cheer killing police. Some of my best friends are police officers who I love dearly. Evil is killing an innocent black man in front of his fiancee' and 4 year old daughter, evil is killing 5 innocent police officers in Dallas that had nothing to do with the situation, evil is blowing up the young soldier with out giving him due process of the law.
Reed has received some messages of support.
Yolanda Hines wrote on his Facebook page: "Wow backstabbers, sorry this happened, keep ya head up Moe, don't let these haters get you down, you keep pushing and being a good role model for the city, for the world we need more."
Though Reed has made much of his Facebook settings private now, he did post a new cover photo of a fortune cookie bearing the message: "Keep your goals away from the trolls."
Regarding Reed's withdrawal from the school-board race, a news release cited "unexpected family commitments and the continued work at his law firm."
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