The police chief of the small town of Surf City, North Carolina has been forced to retire after he posted a lengthy rant on his personal Facebook page calling the Black Lives Matter movement an “American born terrorist group” and Michael Brown a “criminal thug.”
Former Police Chief Mike Halstead posted the diatribe on September 3rd. The 600-word post also states that the nation’s race problem was “not brought on by police officer[s] doing their sworn duty” but rather “by the government, the President and his cronies Al Sharpton, who is a criminal tax evader (but has the support of our so called President), Jessi Jackson, Eric Holder and that ignorant S.O.B. Farrakhan who should be charged with solicitation for murder, lord knows a white man would be arrested for the same actions of idiot Farakhan.”
Chief Halstead states in the rant that he has told the officers in his department “to be vigilant” and that they are allowed to use “appropriate action” if they are threatened. “If that means shoot a thug, then do it and answer for it while you are still alive not dead,” Halstead wrote.
He added:
Law Enforcement is fed up with this murderous society who want to take out those who protect and serve. Imagine if all law enforcement shut down for just 1 day. There would be murders, rapes, robberies, you name it. America wake up, all of you black, white, Mexican whatever you need the police, we do not need you. End this Black Lives Matter bull sh-t and start a movement that all lives matter.
According to local news station WECT, Surf City Town Manager Larry Bergman convened an emergency meeting in response to Halstead’s Facebook post at which the Town Council asked Halstead to retire. Halstead was told that the Council was considering his termination if he did not comply.
As WECT reports, the Surf City police department does have a policy on social media use, although much is left to interpretation:
The department's policy states employees are free to 'express themselves as private citizens on social media sites' as long as it does not 'negatively affect the public perception of the department.'
It goes on to say, 'When using social media, department personnel should be mindful that their speech becomes part of the worldwide electronic domain. Therefore, adherence to the department's code of conduct is required in the personal use of social media. In particular, department personnel are prohibited from the following: Speech containing obscene or sexually explicit language, images, or acts and statements or other forms of speech that ridicule, malign, disparage, or otherwise express bias against any race, any religion, or any protected class of individuals.'
Bergman clarified for WETC how Halstead violated Department policy:
He put that information out, that was intended for his friends and colleagues and peers, but it was a public statement and there are people that were offended.
Halstead has taken down the Facebook post which landed him in hot water. He posted another message after the Town Council meeting expressing his consternation and disappointment with how he has been treated, but apologizing to those whom he offended through his words:
I want to thank you all for your support. I was forced to retire or be terminated. I had to beg for a 60 day severance to feed my family. That was the thanks I got from those I thought were family, I was thrown under the bus for expressing my 1st amendment rights and speaking the truth and concerns for law enforcement.. I would like to apologize to my family for letting you down. I also apologize to those I have offended, that was not my intent. I have served proudly for 35 years without a blemish. I guess to some Surf City Leaders that has no meaning. I guess I will learn to eat beanie wienies for a few months. I love you all.
Some of the citizens of Surf City are standing by Halstead. WECT reports that a group of protestors with signs reading “Honk for Halstead” and “We Support Chief Halstead” congregated outside the police station on Wednesday. Brandy Cuff, one of the pro-Halstead protestors was interviewed by WECT .
"We have freedom of speech," she said."Someone who spent 35 years of dedicated service can't post his opinion, or have an opinion about that? Someone who has to watch his fellow brothers in uniform be murdered, he can't have an opinion? It makes no sense."
The full Facebook post from former Surf City Police Chief Mike Halstead:
Mike Halstead: Open letter from a Police Chief , this Black Lives Matter group is nothing more than an American born terrorist group brought on by the lie of the hands up don’t shoot during the criminal thug Michael Brown incident. The FBI and other Government Law Enforcement groups need to step up and put a stop to this. The Government and blacks would not tolerate the White Supremacist group to march through the streets and call for the murders of a race of people and a group of public servants. I agree there is a race problem in this country. It is not brought on by police officer doing their sworn duty, it is brought on by the government, the President and his cronies Al Sharpton, who is a criminal tax evader (but has the support of our so called President), Jessi Jackson, Eric Holder and that ignorant S.O.B. Farrakhan who should be charged with solicitation for murder, lord knows a white man would be arrested for the same actions of idiot Farakhan. I am sure there are many hard working Black people who will agree with me. I have been a Police Officer for 35 years. I do not judge anyone by the color of their skin, but by there actions. A criminal is a criminal whether a police officer or any other profession. I will not state statistics because black lives matter do not care or believe proven statistics. I put allot of the blame for these cop murders on the media and the way they report police related shootings. There is no need to list or even state the race of a person shot by the police. It is more important to wait for the facts and report those. But and a big but that does not make money for these greedy media ass holes. When a black thug is killed by the police they are all over it as is Mr. Barack Obama. However when a police officer white, black or any race is murdered for doing his job the media is short with it’s reporting or not at all. When a white person is killed by a black officer you hear nothing. Has our so called President spoke publicly about these murders of police officers by blacks, HELL NO he has not. Step up Mr. President, or step down because we do not need you. Has our Attorney General spoke against these murders, no of course not because she was appointed by Barack Obama. Now let me say this, and this is not a threat but common knowledge. I have instructed my officers to be vigilant, if threatened take appropriate action. If that means shoot a thug, then do it and answer for it while you are still alive not dead. Law Enforcement is fed up with this murderous society who want to take out those who protect and serve. Imagine if all law enforcement shut down for just 1 day. There would be murders, rapes, robberies, you name it. America wake up, all of you black, white, Mexican whatever you need the police, we do not need you. End this Black Lives Matter bull shit and start a movement that all lives matter. As for the New Black Panther movement who wants to kill whites and cops, go for it, we are ready for you. You take one of us and there will be 100 who will step up and end you. This letter is not meant to offend anyone, just the feelings of a man who has spent the last 35 years of his life serving and protecting, for what so a thug can take it or to be treated as a criminal by the very people I swore to protect. Let’s get this around folks so maybe our President and the media will get a wake up call. Be safe all of my Brothers and Sisters in blue, not white, black, yellow or brown BLUE.
