Live: George Floyd Protests Continue Around the Country

June 2, 2020, 6:44 p.m. ET

June 2, 2020, 6:44 p.m. ET

By Jack Healy

A Denver police officer was fired on Tuesday after posting a photo online of three officers in armored tactical gear with the caption, “Let’s start a riot.”

The Instagram post by the officer, Thomas McClay, touched off angry denunciations from activists who participated in huge protests around Colorado’s Capitol over the past five days, and prompted the police department to start an internal-affairs investigation.

“The Internal Affairs investigation revealed that the officer violated the department’s social media policy, posted content inconsistent with the values of the department, and the officer has been terminated,” the Denver Police Department said in a statement.