Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Police Commissioner John Barbieri are reaching out to the public regarding alleged inappropriate behavior from a police officer earlier this month.
Officer Conrad Lariviere was thrust into the spotlight after he was seen on Facebook mocking counter-protesters who were hit by a driver at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In an open letter released on Wednesday, Sarno and Barbieri said an internal investigation of the incident is ongoing, and that the city has prioritized it.
A civilian volunteer board will, according to the letter, have the power to make a determination regarding potential disciplinary hearings at the conclusion of the investigation.