Coast Guard reprimands officer over white supremacy sign

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Coast Guard has reprimanded a Coast Guard officer in South Carolina for flashing a white supremacy hand sign on live television.

The Post and Courier reports the man was censured for intentionally using the hand gesture in Charleston during the emergency response to Hurricane Florence in September.

[Officials: NC trooper under investigation after racially charged social media post]

The newspaper reports the Coast Guard officer was in the background of a television shot while another person was being interviewed. He flashed a hand sign associated with white supremacy.

The man hasn't been publicly identified. But a Coast Guard letter says his actions showed a lack of maturity and an inability to understand the gravity of a weather disaster.

[ALSO READ: Salisbury residents concerned about racial tensions after Confederate monument vandalized]

The incident received national attention and the Coast Guard issued a statement saying the person was removed from the emergency response team.

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Associated Press