Idaho prosecutor says Facebook post was not racist

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) -- A deputy prosecutor in northern Idaho says he was misunderstood after posting a comment on social media that suggested genocide would occur if police officers stopped patrolling black neighborhoods.
Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Bryant Bushling tells The Coeur d'Alene Press (http://bit.ly/29EzZQD ) that he has since edited his comment after receiving negative feedback.
Bushling posted the response Sunday on Kootenai County Bailiff Todd Hartman's Facebook page. Hartman had posted a meme that showed a picture of a white officer and text suggesting that police wanted to kill black people they would stop patrolling black neighborhoods.
Bushling's edited comment now says he has experience working with gangs and that people without a similar background shouldn't judge without talking to him first.
Bushling says he's had an excellent reputation in his 33 years of public service.