FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky’s governor removed a member of the state’s Emergency Medical Services board who was accused of posting a social media message criticizing the arrest of a woman who broke coronavirus quarantine orders.
In an April 30 executive order, Gov. Andy Beshear took Robbie Smither off the board, stating that a Facebook post by the Shelbyville paramedic “promoted violent action against law enforcement” and was sufficient cause for his removal, news outlets reported.
Smither was accused of suggesting Kendra Burnett should have used “deadly force” against officers arresting her outside a Louisville grocery store April 27, news outlets reported, citing the since-deleted post. Burnett tested positive for the coronavirus then ignored a court order to self-quarantine, authorities said.
“I believe people have the right to their own personal liberties. This is not a matter of anti-law enforcement,” Smither told WHAS-TV last week. “This is me as a citizen speaking in a public forum.”
The Emergency Medical Services board’s executive director, Mike Poynter, told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Monday that the agency believes in the protection of freedom of speech, but “does not, and will not, condone or support any speech or actions which incite or promote violence.”
Smither was appointed to the board in 2018 and was set to serve through September 2021. The board establishes standards for the training of emergency medical first responders and oversees their certification, according to the governor’s executive order.
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