A Kentucky deputy was fired immediately after his use of racial slurs against Black people during a livestream drew public outrage. He faces charges for making racist statements while in uniform and on jail property. Zachary Behlke, 20, worked at the LaRue County Detention Center and appeared on a November 30 online dating show that was livestreamed and later shared on TikTok.
The video was filmed inside the detention center whilst Behlke was working. He was wearing his uniform and was even heard confirming he was on duty. As the video progressed, Zachary was seen inside the control room of the jail during the broadcast itself. Meanwhile, the host of the show started reading some messages that the deputy had sent back in July 2025. These texts contained racist and other derogatory content. Shockingly, Behlke denied the accusations.
But nonetheless, it did not refrain him from using racist and derogatory language during the course of the livestream show itself. In fact, Zachary made threats at one point, which ended with him hurling racial slurs as well. He was heard uttering, “Yeah, I don’t like Black people, they’re stupid.”
🇺🇸🚔😡
DEPUTY DESPEDIDO POR RACISMO EN DIRECTO
Un ayudante de Kentucky pierde su trabajo y enfrenta cargos tras soltar insultos racistas en uniforme durante un show de citas en vivo.
Zachary Behlke, de 20 años, trabajaba en el LaRue County Detention Center. El 30 de… pic.twitter.com/RYMQzLAH94
— Noticias y Tendencias: ⓍULTIMAHORAENX (@ULTIMAHORAENX) January 13, 2026
Fortunately, the jail authorities were made aware of the livestream video the very same day that it was uploaded on TikTok. They decided to take prompt action and fired Zachary Behlke effective immediately. He was accused of violating the code of ethics and social media policies that were to be followed inside the detention center.
But the case was far from being over. It was then referred to the local law enforcement for an in-depth investigation and potential charges that could be levied on Behlke. A few days later, the Hodgenville Police Department confirmed through a news release that the former detention center employee was arrested on December 3. He was charged with first-degree official misconduct and third-degree terrorist threatening.
Following the charges over his racist rant, Zachary himself got booked into the Grayson County Detention Center. His scheduled court appearance is next on January 28, 2026. The 20-year-old ex-deputy was hired by the LaRue County Detention Center back in September 2025. Interestingly, the jail policy dictates that any employee less than 21 years of age cannot supervise inmates.
However, the authorities later confirmed that Behlke never directly supervised anyone and, in fact, his range of duty had a limited capacity. He was still under a probationary period when he allegedly committed the offense. He had no direct contact with the inmates, let alone supervising them.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked massive outrage on social media, as netizens are shocked at how racism has seeped into law enforcement. Surprisingly, such departments lack specific policies on racist affiliations, which highlights the negligence over matters like these.
The firing of deputies like Zachary Behlke and the criminal charges filed against him have also sparked questions about whether such actions are sufficient for restoring justice on racist issues.
