A Dallas firefighter is drawing attention after a drawing he did for a sketch on social media of him in combat fatigues.
The Dallas Firefighter’s Union posted a video on its Facebook page Wednesday showing the firefighter drawing the sketch of himself in a uniform and helmet.
The video shows the firefighter, who is in his 50s, in a black jacket and jeans.
The union’s Facebook page is now filled with angry comments calling the drawing “disrespectful” and “offensive.”
The video was shared more than 5,000 times and the post has been shared more often than any other in the union’s history.
A representative for the Dallas Firefighters Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the drawing of the firefighter is “very sad and very unfortunate.”
“The Dallas City Council is very cognizant of the concerns and frustrations of all the Dallas firefighters,” Rawlings told The Associated Press.
“The Dallas Police Department has a very strong safety record.
We are committed to ensuring the safety of all our firefighters.”
Rawlings said he’s aware of the drawing and the union is working with the city to correct it.
“The safety of our firefighters is our number one priority,” Rawlins said.
“If it were to happen again, it would be a very, very serious situation.”
Dallas police spokeswoman Deah Bostic said the department does not comment on internal affairs investigations.
Rawlings acknowledged the drawing in a statement.
“I am saddened and disappointed that the Dallas City Police Department’s investigation of the incident has not found any violation of department policy, policies, or procedures,” he said.
The city is paying the firefighter’s union to have the drawing removed from the department’s social media pages.
The city also plans to give the firefighter a $20,000 check for his legal fees, the statement said.
Rawlers said he will discuss the incident with the chief of police and the city attorney to get an explanation.
“I think it’s very unfortunate that it happened,” Rawls said.