An Ohio sheriff's lieutenant has apologized – only to be reprimanded – after he made social media posts in which he bragged about not helping people who voted for Democrats in Tuesday's election would provide – and would require proof of a person’s voting choice before providing assistance.

John Rodgers, a veteran lieutenant in the Clark County Sheriff's Office, reportedly posted on Facebook that he was assisting in responding to calls for service in his jurisdiction, which includes the city of Springfield, which has been at the center of conservatives lately. According to the Ohio news agency WHIO, these are conspiracy theories.

Rodgers reportedly wrote in a series of posts: “I’m sorry. If you support the Democratic Party, I won’t help you.”

In another post, he reportedly said, “The problem is, I know which of you supports the Democratic Party, and I'm not going to help you survive the end of days.”

And in another case, WHIO reported, Rodgers suggested that people would have to “provide proof of who you voted for” if they asked him for help.

After the posts gained public attention, the sheriff's office said in a statement to WHIO that the comments were “highly inappropriate.” The agency also said the posts “in no way reflect the Clark County Sheriff's Office's service to ALL of our communities and do not reflect the mission and values ​​of the Sheriff's Office.”

“The community has a right to be angry about Lt Rodgers’ actions, and he and the Sheriff’s Office in general will have to work even harder to restore the trust of members of our community,” the statement continued.

An internal investigation file into Rodgers' post obtained by the WHO also said that Rodgers claimed he was prescribed sleeping pills by his doctor, which he said caused some of his communications to be “out of character.” Rodgers reportedly insisted this was a “documented side effect.”

“I have no recollection of writing or deleting these posts,” Rodgers reportedly wrote in internal office communications with supervisors.

According to WHIO, the sheriff's office said Rodgers received a written reprimand for violating the department's social media policy and will remain on duty.

Clark County, Ohio, became the focus of Donald Trump's campaign for a second presidency after he and others began spreading lies on social media that members of the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets and wild animals.

Since Trump spread the false and derogatory claims in his September debate with his White House opponent Kamala Harris, several hospitals, local government buildings and schools have been placed on lockdown, leading to evacuations and temporary closures due to bomb threats in the community.

In a statement to the Springfield News-Sun, Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mike Young addressed the Rodgers situation, linking it to ongoing tensions in Springfield and Clark County over lies about Haitian immigrants.

“We have been in this fight over the last few months with the attacks on the Haitian community and other immigrants, and we protect people's rights and do not support any behavior to the contrary,” Young said. “I can’t go back in time and take away this position. The lieutenant took over the position and he received consequences for it.”

In a letter to the News-Sun on Sunday, Rodgers himself said he had again apologized for his posts.

“I know I can't apologize enough, and my apologies may seem empty, but I will apologize for as long as it takes,” Rodgers wrote.

“I know society today has a perception of law enforcement that may not always be positive, and I have now reinforced that perception,” Rodgers added. “I take responsibility for the messages and deeply regret making them.”

Rodgers said that as soon as he became aware of his posts on Tuesday, he deactivated his Facebook account, stopped taking his sleeping pills and contacted his doctor to discuss alternative medications.

He also told the News-Sun that he has contacted the Clark County Commission, community partners and the NAACP to have “personal conversations” to explain himself, “take responsibility for the posts” and apologize to them – although he admitted knowing that “it will be difficult for the public to trust me.”