GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office corporal has resigned following a Facebook post that threatened protesters.
The sheriff’s office announced Cpl. Stephan Liest’s resignation on Thursday. It is effective immediately.
A controversy began after a Facebook post concerning protesters, in which Liest (under the profile “Scooba Steve”), wrote, “Please, please protest in front of me especially when I am at work and (I’ll) show the world how that works out for you.”
Gunnison County residents started a petition calling for Liest’s termination.
“This petition has been generated after direct grievances were filed with the Gunnison County Sheriff’s office. Due to their lack of action on this matter, we have started this petition to gather local signatures that can be taken to the Colorado Attorney General, so that we can request further investigation,” wrote Michelle Wilk, the petition organizer.
The petition also noted an April 2019 post in which Liest posted a meme that said, “I just saved 5% on insurance by looking gay.”
On Monday, July 20, Sheriff John Gallowich published a letter about “inappropriate and disturbing Facebook posts” allegedly made by the corporal.
Gallowich initially said the corporal’s account appeared to have been hacked “due to multiple secondary friend requests being received.”
In a second letter sent out the same day, Gallowich wrote, “Cpl. Liest was placed on paid Administrative leave on July 20th, 2020 pending the results of this investigation.”
Gallowich said an out-of-county digital investigator would handle the case, and Liest was cooperating.
Then, on Thursday, the sheriff’s office announced Liest’s resignation via Facebook.
