Sanford, FL police officer Andrew Ricks has lost his job after joining Vital Remains onstage during the band’s recent set in the city. Ricks, a fan of the band, was invited onstage by frontman Brian Werner after requesting they perform “Dechristanize“. Ricks, who was on duty at the time, sang the opening refrains of “let the killing begin” at Werner‘s own request. The Orlando Sentinel report that he was fired over the incident with Sanford Police Chief Cecil B. Smith commenting:
“An incident of this nature erodes the thin fibers of trust which already exist between the community and the police and it will not tolerated within the Sanford Police Department.”
- Advertisement -“It is important that the agency must maintain and improve upon the trust built within the community. Based on the information received, it is imperative that we have no misinterpretations of the immediate actions taken by the police department in situations of this nature and that we will continue to provide professional service to all citizens of Sanford.”
Vital Remains frontman Brian Werner commented of the firing:
“This is exactly what’s wrong with the world today.”
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