Police chief retires under pressure after Black Lives Matter Facebook Post
We’ve run many stories about firefighters and police officers who’ve been afflicted with a case of SMACSS (Social Media Assisted Career Suicide Syndrome). This time a chief’s career has suddenly come to an end because of his controversial Facebook post.
Surf City (NC) Police Department Chief Mike Halstead suddenly retired today (Tuesday) when the topic of his September 3 “Open Letter from a Police Chief” post about Black Lives Matter, attacks on police officers, President Obama, Eric Holder, the FBI, Jessie Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, Michael Brown, the news media and others prompted an emergency meeting of the town council and mayor.
Surf City’s police chief stormed out of an emergency town council this afternoon after choosing to retire.
Surf City’s mayor called the emergency meeting to discuss personnel concerns. The meeting came after a post on social media by Police Chief Mike Halstead last week.
The post, that has since been deleted or made unavailable to view by some, detailed Halstead’s concerns about the “Black Lives Matter” movement. He called the movement “an American-born terrorist group” and said the government needs to step up and put a stop to it. He said the movement glorifies criminals and vilifies members of law enforcement.
(Town Manager Larry) Bergman said he spoke with Halstead about the post after it was brought to his attention. He reminded him “that as public employees we are often held to higher level of scrutiny and that even if it is a personal social media account and despite not associating himself directly to the Town in his posting, that some will draw the connection.”
Bergman also said the chief is apologetic for how his statements have been interpreted, and that he removed the post on his own accord.
Ashley Morris, Star News Online:
Halstead’s retirement comes a day after the president of the state chapter of the NAACP and other leaders said they were meeting this week to discuss their response to a Facebook post written Sept. 3 by Halstead.
In the 662-word post, the police chief, who has been with Surf City for 13 years and in law enforcement for more than 35 years, said the Black Lives Matter movement was “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.” He writes that he believes neither the government nor blacks in the United States would tolerate a white supremacist group marching through the streets calling for “the murders of a race of people and a group of public servants.”
Text of Chief Mike Halstead’s Facebook Post:
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.
