The training materials, obtained by the Manual RedEye, a high school news publication in Louisville, Kentucky, instruct the officers to be “ruthless killer[s]” and have a “mindest void of emotion” to “meet violence with greater violence.”
One slide, titled “The Thin Gray Line,” includes a quote attributed to Lee. It reads, “Truth and manliness will carry you through the world much better than policy.”
The training material slideshow was discovered by David Ward, a local attorney with the law firm Adams Landenwich Walton PLCC, after requesting information about a detective who shot a man to death, The Guardian reported.
The materials also include a line from Hitler’s autobiographical manifesto “Mein Kampf” that states, “The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence.”
The slideshow also includes the phrase “über alles,” a part of of the German national anthem which has been associated with the Nazi regime.
Additionally, the training materials link to a Hitler page on Goodreads, and one slide reads: “Be the loving father, spouse, and friend as well as the ruthless killer."
In a statement on Twitter, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the training materials.
“It is entirely inexcusable for the words of Hitler to be used in training Kentucky State Police. ADL is actively working in the state to determine what happened and ensure it doesn't happen again,” the statement reads.
According to Lt. Josh Lawson of the KSP, “the quotes are used for their content and relevance” to teach “topics [that] go to the fundamentals of law enforcement such as treating everyone equally, service to the public, and being guided by the law,” The Guardian reported.
Morgan Hall, the communications director for the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, told the outlet that the “unacceptable” training materials have not been used since 2013.
On Monday, Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer resigned from his position. His resignation will go into effect Wednesday, CBS News reported. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has selected Lt. Col. Phillip Burnett to serve as acting commissioner.
"As of today, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet continues to work diligently to swiftly and thoroughly conduct an internal review of all training materials and will provide information as it becomes available," Hall said in a statement to CBS News.
Beshear on Monday also condemned the materials.
"This is absolutely unacceptable," the governor said in a statement to CBS News. "It is further unacceptable that I just learned about this through social media. We will collect all the facts and take immediate corrective action."