Controversial Facebook Post Lands Police Cheif In Hot Water

In North Carolina, Police Chief Mike Halstead moved towards early retirement over a controversial Facebook post regarding the "Black Lives Matter" movement. He posted a rant on September 3 that prompted an emergency town meeting on Tuesday led by Surf City's mayor to discuss personnel concerns. The post has since been deleted or made private, but it started this way:

"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."

Halstead then went on to write:

"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."

His post ended with:

"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."

Town Manager Larry Bergman told WWAY, “He felt pretty passionate about it. Someone had just been murdered in Texas and it was in relation to that incident.” Council voted to accept Halstead's retirement--effective immediately. He will be paid 60 days severance. Bergman said the post violated a policy regarding how the chief is supposed to present himself.

Photo: ABC 11, Wway TV 3