WEST BOYLSTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A Worcester corrections officer’s tattoo was mistaken for a reference to Hitler.
It was a picture snapped of just the “88” on the officer’s arm and posted to Facebook, which caused an online uproar.
The number 88 is used online by white supremacist groups to refer to Hitler.
Soon, the Worcester corrections Facebook page was inundated with comments, some so vulgar, they temporarily shut it down.
They distributed a photo of the officer’s arm, which shows a seal of his college football team, with the number 88, his playing number, beneath it.
“We tried to explain to people (that) he’s not a Nazi. This is a misunderstanding,” Worcester County Sherrif’s Office Superintendent William Tuttle said. “The whole day has been to correct this misunderstanding. With social media, it is hard. Once it is out there, it just keeps going.”
The corrections officer will still work the front desk, but will wear a shirt, which covers the entire tattoo so the mixup doesn’t happen again.
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