Calling the movement an “American-born terrorist group” in a Facebook post on his personal account.
Upon hearing about the post, city leaders called for an emergency meeting in which Halstead abruptly retired. [__WECT__](http://www.wect.com/story/30036846/black-lives-matter-post-leads-to-police-chiefs-retirement) reported that city leaders were prepared to terminate Halstead if he didn’t retire.
The Surf City Police Department has a social media policy that states the following:
> *“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. 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.”*
Halstead has since removed the Facebook post and issued an apology regarding the interpretation of his comments.
Unsurprisingly, Halstead has received a steady stream of support from the citizens of the small town. There have been frequent protests proclaiming that the former police chief’s comments are First Amendment protected.
Here is what Halstead said:
> *“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.”*
Police Officers across the nation have had a lot to say about the Black Lives Matter movement. PINAC asked the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina for comment regarding the movement, receiving the following reply:
> *“The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and our community share a strong relationship built on trust and respect. We are prepared to facilitate the constitutional rights of individuals who wish to peacefully assemble and demonstrate.”*
And while that might come across as police spin, [__a video recorded last month by PINAC reporter Alan McHone__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/08/charlotte-cop-in-mistrial-wont-be-retried/) of a protest following the mistrial of a local cop facing murder charges for killing a black man shows that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department seemed to have a more respectable approach to protesters than we have seen from other agencies.
Earlier this month after a police involved shooting, Texas Sheriff Ron Hickman said, “We’ve heard, ‘Black lives matter; All lives matter.’ Well, cops’ lives matter, too. So why don’t we just drop the qualifier and just say, ‘Lives matter,’ and take that to the bank?”
Also, a Missouri man who shot and killed a Kentucky man was also involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, even urging non-violence on his Facebook post, according to the [__New York Daily News.__](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/suspect-trooper-death-black-lives-matter-backer-article-1.2360320)
But if police don’t want to be judged by the actions of what they call “a few bad apples,” then they should not do the same.
