Pueblo County Sheriff blasts ‘outrageous’ comments by deputy about shooting looters

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Pueblo County deputy who has been on administrative leave since March is accused of posting a thread on Facebook saying that he would enjoy shooting looters and wouldn't go to jail for it.

Santino Pusedu allegedly wrote a post on his personal Facebook page saying that if he was in Minnesota and owned a business, he would shoot looters as they came in, and then he claimed that he wouldn't go to jail for it because he has money.

Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor said on Tuesday that those comments are "outrageous and unacceptable."

The post by Pusedu was in response to violent riots that broke out in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd. While many protests were peaceful, some of the first nights of protests in Minneapolis saw agitators light buildings on fire, including a local police precinct, and vandalize many other businesses. That incident sparked what has become a worldwide movement for police reform, and many officers and deputies have expressed opinions on social media.

"Anyone following this Minnesota riot s***? Shoot those mother f***ers! If I owned a business there best believe I would! I would sit in the back of my business and pick mother f***ers off as they came in!" Pusedu posted on his Facebook page, which has since been taken down.

In response to comments, Pusedu said: "I don't care what they do just don't come to my house! Because I'll pick mother f***ers off! And you know what? I'll enjoy it! And I'll get away with it! I have money!" Another post pointed out that Pusedu would go to jail, and Pusedu said, "I wouldn't go to jail."

Taylor said in a statement to KRDO, "In no way do these comments reflect the attitudes, training or ethics of the Office of Sheriff here in Pueblo County." He added that he can't comment further since it's currently a personnel matter.

This isn't Pusedu's first incident to make headlines -- our partners at the Pueblo Chieftain reported in 2019 when he was sued by a former detainee at the Pueblo County Jail for excessive force. A lawsuit filed by Reyes Martinez Lopez accuses Pusedu of body-slamming him to the floor and beating him in 2018. That civil lawsuit is still ongoing, according to Colorado Court records.

We've also asked the sheriff's office for information about why Pusedu was placed on administrative leave since March 27, but no comment was given. Our attempts to reach Pusedu for comment were unsuccessful.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.