A MICHIGAN POLICE OFFICER IS UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
AFTER HE FLEW A CONFEDERATE FLAG DURING A PEACEFUL LOVE
TRUMPS HATE RALLY IN MICHIGAN.
THIS IS OFFICER MICHAEL PETERS, AND HE'S NOT ONLY CRIMINAL ñ
UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, HE IS UNDER INTERNAL INVESTIGATION.
APPARENTLY HIS POLICE CHIEF IS NOT TOO HAPPY AND DOES NOT
AGREE WITH THE MESSAGE OF FLYING A CONFEDERATE FLAG AT A
PEACEFUL RALLY.
OKAY, SO JEFFREY O'BRIEN, THE POLICE CHIEF, SAYS THE
FOLLOWING: "I MET WITH HIM THIS MORNING AND I THINK HE
UNDERSTANDS THE RAMIFICATIONS OF HIS ACTIONS.
I'M NOT HERE TO JUDGE HIM; WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO
GO THROUGH BUT WE HAVE TO ALLOW THAT PROCESS TO BE IMPLEMENT IT.
I'M ASKING EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO JUST BE
PATIENT AND LET US DO OUR JOB."
MARSHALL COLLINS, A RALLY GOER, TOLD CBS AFFILIATE WW TV
SAID THAT HE WAS WITH A GROUP FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN HE SAW
PETERS PULL UP WITH THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WAVING
FROM HIS TRUCK, AND THEN HE REVVED HIS ENGINE.
HE APPARENTLY PARTS NEAR THE RALLY AND THEN STARTED TO
DRINK BEER.
PETERS HAD DISPLAYED THE FLAG ON CITY PROPERTY BEFORE AND
WAS APPARENTLY ASKED TO NOT DO THAT AGAIN.
APPARENTLY HE WAS TALKED TO ABOUT IT, AND WILL BE
AGAIN, THAT'S WHY HE'S BEING INVESTIGATED.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION?
I DON'T AGREE WITH HIM DOING THAT, I THINK IT'S A FORM
OF INTIMIDATION.
YOU ARE A COP SHOWING UP TO A RALLY FLYING A CONFEDERATE FLAG,
OBVIOUSLY THIS RALLY IS CALLING INTO QUESTION SOME OF THE
RHETORIC THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS USED AGAINST MINORITIES,
ESPECIALLY BLACK INDIVIDUALS, AND FLYING THE CONFEDERATE
FLAG SAYS SOMETHING.
WHETHER OR NOT THIS WARRANTS A COMMITTAL INVESTIGATION, I
DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH THAT.
I ACTUALLY KIND OF DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THIS.
I THINK THAT I REALLY SALUTE THE POLICE CHIEF, JEFFREY O'BRIEN.
I THINK HE DID A GREAT JOB OF ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITY,
HE SAID HE HAD OVER 100
EMAILS CALLING FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS RESIGNATION.
SO I THINK HE DID A GOOD JOB ADDRESSING A COMMUNITY THAT
IS TRYING TO HEAL.
THEY WERE TRYING TO COME TOGETHER, AND A POLICE
OFFICER COMES IN AND CLEARLY CHOOSES A SIDE.
HE SHOULD BE THERE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.
A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT, HE WAS OFF-DUTY, AND I DO NOT AGREE
WITH WHAT HE DID WHATSOEVER.
I THINK IF A POLICE OFFICER HAS A POLICY, YOU SHOULD
DEFINITELY FACE THE CONSULATES OF THAT.
IF I WAS HIS SUPERIOR I WOULD REALLY QUESTION WHETHER HE WAS
WORTHY TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT, BECAUSE AS A PLEASE OFFICER YOU
ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT AND SERVE, AND IF A COMMUNITY
FEELS INTIMIDATED BY YOU LIKE THIS, THEN MAYBE IT'S NOT
THE BEST WORK FOR YOU.
A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, I DON'T KNOW.
THERE MAY BE A LAW THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF IN THIS AREA.
THERE COULD ALSO BE SITUATIONS WITH HIM BEFORE, IT SOUND LIKE
IT WAS A BIT OF A PRESIDENT WITH HIM GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN WITH
BEHAVIOR THAT IS NOT TO PROTECT AND SERVE, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
TAKING A SIDE.
SO I THINK THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE PART OF THE STORY THAT
THE POLICE CHIEF IS AWARE OF THAT MAYBE WE ARE NOT AWARE OF,
BUT I DO HEAR YOU, CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS, IT IS STRONG,
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT THEY DON'T
TOLERATE THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR IN THEIR DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, I JUST FIND IT INTERESTING
THAT, WE'VE DONE STORY AFTER STORY OF UNARMED PEOPLE
GETTING SHOT AND KILLED, AND GETTING A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
DONE IS LIKE, ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IN THE WORLD.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A COP FLYING A CONFEDERATE FLAG, AND AGAIN
FOR THE ONE BILLIONTH TIME, I HOPE YOU GUYS DON'T
UNDERSTAND THAT I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE
THEY ARE GOING AFTER HIM PRETTY HARD FOR THIS.
WE'LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT, BUT AGAIN, IF YOU ARE A PUBLIC
SERVANT, DON'T GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO GO TO A PEACEFUL
RALLY AND INTIMIDATE PEOPLE.
AND ALSO BRING UP AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRAUMATIZED
BY; AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO HEAL FOR.
I THINK IT DOES COME DOWN TO A CASE-BY-CASE, DEPARTMENT
THAT PART ñ DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT SITUATION.
YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT, WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF SHOOTINGS
ON THE SHOW WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET ANY
SORT OF JUSTICE.
AND HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT A VERY EFFICIENT POLICE
DEPARTMENT, THEY ONLY HAVE 20
OFFICERS, MY BROTHER ACTUALLY LIVES IN THAT CITY, AND WE
ARE SEEING WHAT I THINK IS AN EFFECTIVE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE POLICE CHIEF REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAID, I
DON'T CONDONE THIS BEHAVIOR, I HEAR YOU, WE'RE GOING TO DO
WHATEVER WE CAN DO, AND HE ASKED FOR PATIENTS, SAYING THAT
THE PROCESS IS SOMETIMES SLOW.
HE IS EXPLAINING THE PROCESS TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH I
THINK IS GREAT.
WE'LL SEE THAT VERY OFTEN, AND WHEN WE DO, WE ARE THINKING
THAT'S AMAZING TO SEE THIS KIND OF ACTION.
WE ARE DESENSITIZED TO INACTION.
I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT