A Springfield police officer has been placed on unpaid leave after allegedly posting racist and antisemitic posts on social media.

Springfield opened an investigation after online reports identified officer Aaron Paul Nichols, 46, as the person responsible for racist and antisemitic postings on multiple social media forums.

The website Anonymous Comrades Collective, which describes itself as "dedicated to exposing Nazis, racists, and fascists" shared a series of posts made by accounts reportedly belonging to the nearly 20-year veteran of the Springfield police force on Gab, a social media network that champions free speech and is known for its far-right userbase.

In his posts, made from accounts with the name "WeWillWin" and "MagicDirtFarmer," Nichols not only praised Hitler but also disparaged Jews and people of color. In one post, Nichols stated “Hitler did nothing wrong”.