"ropes are long and trees are short nowadays i guess. Aint like it used to be..."

That's what a Facebook user with the name Josh Harrell, a 'well-known' Warren County resident and business owner , posted after an interaction with Grundy County Captain Clarence Delk, according to the sheriff's office.

Cpt. Delk said that comment, which alluded to lynching, came after another post referring to him as a "boy" and a fellow deputy a "white boy."

"In my 24 years as a peace officer, I have never encountered blatant racism and not so veiled threats such as this."

In screenshots provided by the agency, a post from Harrell reads:

"Does any of my Grundy county friends know this boy and the white boy that rides with him? They come all the way to 127 side of Fred Lusk rd harassing 1 of my drive

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