Video via fox5dc.com
The Alexandria (VA) Fire Department has placed a firefighter on paid administrative leave while it investigates a controversial gesture made during a television segment, reports fox5dc.com.
The “OK gesture” was spotted from a crew member during one of FOX 5’s video interviews with the department. The gesture is sometimes meant as a joke, in that if you look at the hand you get a punch.
However, it’s also known in some circles as a symbol of hate to represent white power.
“A joke is only [a joke] if someone is not offended by it. It’s always in the eye of the beholder,” Chief Corey Smedley said. “We have to make every attempt to maintain the integrity and trust of the community, and joking is not something that is part of our mission.”
Smedley added that he has not talked to the firefighter yet but plans to do so.
