Police investigating after ex-officers allegedly posted threats against activist Shaun King

Activist Shaun King said in a Medium post Thursday that members of a law enforcement group on Facebook were plotting to kill him. Now, the Long Beach Police Department in California is investigating, saying that among the former officers identified by King were several from Long Beach. 

"Today, the Long Beach Police Department was made aware of incredibly distributing social media messages that were posted from personal Facebook accounts to a Private Facebook Group," the department said Thursday in a statement. "The posts included potential threats of violence directed towards activist and journalist Shaun King. The article identified former law enforcement officers including three from Long Beach."

In his piece published on Medium, King said a friend on Tuesday told him about the Facebook group for California law enforcement officers in which members were "openly plotting and planning my assassination."

"Sadly, I receive death threats daily," wrote King, a writer and activist who often promotes Black Lives Matter on social media. "It's been that way for years... We take them all seriously, but what we found in this private Facebook group is altogether different. These were men and women, in a private group that they had no idea I'd ever see them, using their real names and identities, openly plotting to kill me and organizing each other to execute it."

He also shared that portion of his Medium post on Instagram, where he has 3.5 million followers. 

CBS Los Angeles reports the Long Beach Police Department said it was "appalled and deeply disturbed" by the posts, which King said were started by a retired Long Beach Police officer.

"I think (California) needs to start putting a team together or retired military, police and NRA MEMBERS! We have no protection. These criminals that the Democrats created need to be stopped," the retired officer's post allegedly read.

"Toss this guy from a helicopter," another comment allegedly read. Another said, "Shaun King needs to be put down."

The Long Beach Police Department said it has passed the information about the posts to its investigations bureau for "review and recommendations regarding a criminal investigation," and that the FBI will be assisting.  

"We are 100% committed to working in partnership with our community to ensure that all people are treated with respect and professionalism and will not tolerate any bias, racism or threats to individuals," LBPD said in a statement, CBS Los Angeles reported.

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• Black Lives Matter