Firefighter apologizes for ‘dumb joke’ about Charlottesville

People gather for a rally Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Utah residents held a unity and anti-racism rally Monday night to denounce the messages of hate and violence of white supremacists at a weekend rally in Charlottesville, Va. AP

PHILADELPHIA— A Philadelphia firefighter says he was drunk and making a “dumb joke” about the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when he posted a picture of himself holding a torch and wearing a Confederate flag hat on Facebook.

John Deluisi tells WTXF-TV he uploaded the picture, which he captioned “Headed to VA,” in response to another post referencing the Charlottesville rally, where torch-carrying protesters decried the planned removal of a Confederate statue. Three people died amid the turmoil Saturday, including a 32-year-old woman who was part of a crowd of counter-protesters struck by a car.

READ: Death toll from violence at US far-right rally climbs to 3—city official

The Philadelphia Fire Department says it is investigating Deluisi’s post and could take disciplinary action.

Deluisi removed the picture. He apologized and said he is disappointed in himself.