#leroy smith
Members of the Ku Klux Klan gathered outside the South Carolina statehouse Saturday in a heated protest to oppose the removal of the Confederate flag.
But the actions of a black police officer served to drown out the message the group attempted to spread.
Leroy Smith, director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, was photographed helping a white protester, wearing a t-shirt with a swastika, climb the steps of the statehouse towards the shelter and water he needed to escape the gruelling heat. Temperatures in Columbia, S.C. — where the statehouse is located — hit a high of 36 C Saturday.
“I believe this photo captures who we are in South Carolina and represents what law enforcement is all about,” Smith said in a statement. “I am proud to serve this great State, and I hope this photo will be a catalyst for people to work to overcome some of the hatred and violence we have seen in our country in recent weeks. Our men and women in uniform are on the front lines every day helping people – regardless of the person’s skin color, nationality or beliefs.”
PHOTO: Rob Godfrey/Twitter
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