Black Lives Matter Facebook Rant Gets North Carolina Police Chief Ousted

Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman shared his opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement Tuesday, with a seemingly impromptu media address that was emotional, personal and poignant.

According to WECT (via WBTV), Mike Halstead has retired effective immediately following an emergency meeting called in reference to a Facebook post he made calling #BlackLivesMatter an “American born terrorist group brought on by the lie of the hands up don’t shoot during the criminal thug Michael Brown incident”.

Halstead eventually deleted his Black Lives Matter rant, reports Raw Story, and in its stead, posted a thank you letter of sorts and explained his sudden retirement from the force.

While he was talking, I thought of the hundreds of athletes I’ve covered and watched who had platforms as large or larger than Sherman’s who never have and never would stick his neck out to speak on such an issue for fear of criticism or marginalization.

A lot of people had sent (the article) to me over the weekend, but I thought this would be the best place to address it. There were some points in that article, or in that post, that were relevant and I could agree with. 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.

“Chief was able to stop by the peaceful protest we had this morning and it was heartbreaking – there were some tears”, Dorothy Royal said. “If that means shoot a thug, then do it and answer for it while you are still alive not dead”, he wrote. But as a black man, I do understand that black lives matter.

“We all adore him and trust him to take care of the community, but we’d love to have Chief Halstead back”, Royal said. I’m okay with who I am, I’m okay with being human, with being a person and understanding that I do somethings great, and I make mistakes.

Halstead placed blame for the recent killings of police officers across the country on the media’s coverage of police shootings of civilians.

She said there is a false dichotomy that you have to either support black lives or white policemen that is continually perpetuated.

This summer Black Lives Matter activists disrupted two Sanders campaign appearances, demanding that he address racism as well as economic inequality. “Nobody is hearing the law enforcement side”. 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. If Black Lives Matter, then it should matter all the time. You take one of us and there will be 100 who will step up and end you.

Want to talk about the news of the day? While he added that he did not intend to offend anyone, that was the extent of his contrition.

“I’m pretty disappointed that it was not reported by the actual business itself and it’s unfortunate to have an officer uncover that”, Austin Police Association President Ken Casady told KXAN. We are all in this together white and black. “We need to deal with our own internal issues before we move forward and start pointing fingers and start attacking other people – to solidify ourselves as a people and to deal with our issues”.