Mabank Volunteer Firefighter Released for Comment

Mabank volunteer firefighter Kurtis Cook was released from the Mabank Fire Department Friday following allegations that Cook posted an insensitive and inflammatory comment on Facebook regarding last week’s Charleston, South Carolina church shooting.

In that racially motivated shooting, Dylann Roof opened fire on a Wednesday night prayer meeting killing nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Thursday, the following was posted to a Facebook thread about the shooting by Cook’s Facebook account: “He needs to be praised for the good deed he has done.” KETK-TV posted a screenshot of the statement on its website, along with a post of someone encouraging others to contact the Mabank Fire Department.

On Friday, the Mabank Fire Department posted the following on its Facebook page:

“As of 1123 hrs, after an investigation in the allegations being made of Firefighter Kurtis Cook, the Mabank Fire Department Command Staff has terminated Kurtis Cook as a volunteer Firefighter permanently and has trespassed him from all Mabank Fire Department property. The Mabank Fire Department does not condone nor promote these type of actions or thoughts. On behalf of all members, the Mabank Fire Department offers our deepest apologies to all that were offended by his actions and comments.”

The fire department’s Facebook post had received more than 125 comments from all over the country as of Sunday evening, the vast majority saying thank you.