During interviews Schilling said he high-fived the man for supporting Trump and free speech and was not aware video had been recorded. He also said he high-fives a lot of drunk people he interacts with and he instinctively “went for it” when the man put his hand up.
Schilling told internal affairs investigators that he was trying to keep the situation calm.
Several higher-ranking officials within the Franklin Police Department concluded Schilling had acted inappropriately, and even irresponsibly, and the officer was fired. A previous performance review that said Schilling sometimes displayed poor decision-making was also cited.