US officer makes 'offensive' Facebook post about Ferguson shooting victim

A US officer's posting on Facebook about Michael Brown has prompted a large online backlash.

Gwen Stewart joins other demonstrators along West Florissant Avenue to protest the shooting death of Michael Brown on August 14, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. (Getty)

The post showed a picture of a young man with a wad of money in his mouth and a gun in his hand.

The posting indicated the man was Brown, the 18-year-old killed by a police officer in Ferguson earlier this month.

"I'm sure young Michael Brown is innocent and just misunderstood. I'm sure he is a pillar of the Ferguson community," Kansas City police officer Marc Catron commented in the post with the photograph.

Though the picture actually shows a murder suspect in Oregon, it has been disseminated widely on Facebook as being Brown.

The officer's posting, and publicity about his post, has prompted a Facebook group titled "Marc Catron isn't worthy of the shield."

By Wednesday afternoon, the group had more than 900 members.

Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte said on Twitter that the matter is being addressed but because it was a personnel issue, he could not comment about it publicly.