Fire truck flew Confederate flag at parade on Long Island

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. - A Confederate flag that was displayed on a Brookhaven Fire Department truck during a parade should be investigated, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.

Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said that the truck brandishing the Confederate flag was one of nearly 50 local fire departments that participated in a drive-by parade for a veteran Patchogue firefighter with cancer, Newsday reported.

Bellone called for the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission and New York State Division of Human Rights to investigate the incident, according to Monday's press release.

"Hate and bigotry have no place in Suffolk County and we must demonstrate that we take these matters seriously," Bellone wrote.

Chief of Department Peter Di Pinto Jr. issued an apology this weekend after an image of a truck decorated with a Confederate flag was shared on social media.