SURF CITY, N.C. (AP) – A North Carolina town has approved the retirement of the police chief after he referred to the Black Lives Matter movement as a terrorist group in a Facebook post.
Local news outlets report that the town council in Surf City approved the retirement of Police Chief Mike Halstead during an emergency meeting Tuesday.
Halstead is white and had planned to retire this year. The town approved the retirement following a Sept. 3 Facebook post by Halstead.
In the 662-word post, he called Black Lives Matter “nothing more than an American born terrorist group.” Halstead said neither the government nor blacks would tolerate a white supremacist group marching through the streets calling for the murders of public servants.
Halstead posted a response to his retirement on his Facebook page Wednesday morning.
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 want to thank all of the folks in Surf City for your support. It was my pleasure to serve you. Thank you to my officers for your dedication, I will miss everyone of you. 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.
