DuPage board member under fire for 'liking' Facebook comment

A DuPage County Board member is under fire for "liking" a Facebook comment that claimed people won't stop rioting until a few of them "are shot dead."

Sean Noonan, who also is a Bloomingdale police officer, insists he never intended to endorse the comment, which a resident posted May 30 on Noonan's personal Facebook page. He has since "unliked" the comment and removed the post.

"I condemn those words in the strongest possible terms," he said during Tuesday's county board meeting.

The Elmhurst Republican responded to the controversy after board members received written statements from residents demanding action.

The residents' statements - several of them identical or nearly identical - called out Noonan for "liking" the Facebook comment that read: "Sean, as awful as it sounds, until a few rioters are shot dead, and their bodies left in the street for the wolves, there's no message law abiding people and the officers that protect them can send to these terrorists to instill fear and good behavior in them ..."

Claire Goldenberg of Lisle said Noonan supported the comment by hitting the "like" button.

"No DuPage commissioner should publicly endorse this type of violence," Goldenberg wrote. "I demand the DuPage County Board ... put out a public statement condemning those who call for violence to be taken on peaceful protesters, and that you take action against Sean Noonan for suggesting that it would be OK."

Some of the residents said they were concerned because Noonan is a police officer.

"Given the civil unrest that is happening across the country in response to continued police brutality against African Americans, I am very concerned that active police officer Noonan endorses dangerous vigilante action and hateful, racist rhetoric," wrote Katherine Nash of Lombard.

Noonan, who has represented District 2 since 2012, on Wednesday released a statement saying he was "sorry for the mistake I made" on May 30.

"I was scrolling through social media late that night while listening to the Chicago police scanner," he said in the statement. "My attention was drawn to intensity of emotions that were being expressed in the city and over the police radio when I clicked 'like' on a post. I hope others will learn from my mistake."

A day earlier Noonan said he "liked" the comment to "indicate to the individual that I had read his comment."

"It does not mean that I agree or condone what he had written," Noonan said. "Let me emphatically say that I do not agree with this constituent's comments, and I find them abhorrent."

Noonan said anyone who has worked with him knows his character.

"That is why I cannot help but think today's comments were political in nature and were opportunistically designed to embarrass someone who is on the ballot in a few short months," said Noonan, who is seeking reelection in November.

Other county board members didn't respond to the public comments.

On Wednesday, Bloomingdale Director of Public Safety Frank Giammarese said he has received phone calls and emails about the incident. He said the police department, which has social media policies, will conduct an internal investigation.

"Our police department has an outstanding reputation," Giammarese said. "We don't stand for discrimination."

Giammarese said all Bloomingdale officers receive diversity training, as well as de-escalation training. He also said the department fully supports the right to protest peacefully.

He said it's "unfortunate" Noonan "liked" the Facebook comment.

"It was something that shouldn't have happened," he said. "That's why we're looking into it."