Man Arrested After Facebook Post Asking ‘is it bad to pop a cop?’

A Massachusetts man who was recently granted parole was arrested for posting a Facebook comment about shooting police officers after an officer was shot in Boston Friday.

Police say Kyle Lugo, 31, of New Bedford, was arrested Monday morning at his apartment by U.S. Marshals and other police officials.

Kyle Lugo

On his Facebook page, Lugo posted, “Is asking if u really think it’s bad to pop a cop? The way I see it is if u bout it ? U bout it!! Handle that!!!”

The post came following the shooting of Boston Police Officer John Moynihan, who was shot in the face Friday during a traffic stop. He is currently recovering after the bullet was successfully removed.

Police learned about the post when a New Bedford police officer received a tip from a friend, according to Detective Sgt. Victor Mendes. The post has since been removed from Lugo’s Facebook page.

New Bedford police contacted Robert Mello, a state parole officer, who determined the post to be a violation of Lugo’s parole.

Lugo was transported to MCI-Cedar Junction after his arrest.

“In light of what’s going on in the country with all the violence against police officers and especially the shooting of a Boston police officer, we will take these threats seriously and we will reach out to our law enforcement partners whether local, state or federal to further assist us in investigating these cases,” Mendes said today.

“Mr. Lugo was a perfect example where such a threat was taken seriously,” he said.