A Vermont State Trooper has been suspended without pay, pending further possible discipline, for social media posts that “appear to support the criminal insurgency that occurred yesterday at the U.S. Capitol,” Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said today.
According to WPTZ, “The Bennington Banner reported that a post in an account under the name Luke Hall said: “God Bless America!!!! Cheers to the great Patriots in Washington DC. The time has come … Let’s gooooo!!!”” No social media accounts for a Lucas Hall employed as a state trooper could be found.
Below is the public statement by Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling regarding Sergeant Lucas Hall:
“This morning the Vermont State Police received a report of personal, off duty, social media posts by Lucas Hall of the Shaftsbury barracks. These posts appear to support the criminal insurgency that occurred yesterday at the U.S. Capitol and to advocate for such insurgency to continue. While we recognize the rights of all people including sworn law enforcement officers to express their views, advocating for the overthrow of the constitutionally defined democratic election process by force or violence violates our oath of office to uphold the Constitution.
“After being initially briefed by Colonel Birmingham, I immediately opened an internal investigation and suspended Hall without pay while we swiftly explored what further lawful personnel actions were immediately available. We anticipate that our internal investigation will be completed within a few days and will update the public as soon as possible.
“These actions, if true, have caused pain and anguish on the part of Vermonters during an already indescribably stressful time in our national history and for that we are saddened and sorry.
“It is important to state in the strongest terms that these posts are in no way reflective of the beliefs and values of the Vermont State Police or its dedicated troopers and staff, who work each and every day to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.
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Categories: Police Reports
So now we live in a police State with no free speech,we can’t tell the truth,and no use of our constitution!!
Yes, that’s precisely where we are.
And now, those of us (you know, we conspiracy theorists) who recognize the duplicitous sophistry inherent in our elected and appointed officials, the media, and political organizers, must be very careful about what we say, in public and, more importantly, what we say in private. Yes, it may be hard to believe America has come to this. But it’s happened before.
I watched the same thing take place during the protests of the late 60s. I was in DC when MLK was assassinated and half the downtown was burned. I watched on TV as National Guard tanks rumbled down the streets of Detroit. I was a in an Ohio college when the Kent State shootings occurred. I watched the Democrat political machine’s Chicago police, as ‘the whole world was watching’, beat the living daylights out of people at the 1968 DNC convention.
Make no mistake. The recent DC riot was yet another orchestrated setup by the never-Trump crowd, and well-meaning but naive and ignorant patriots, including President Trump and other Republican politicians, got sucked into it. Trump, of all people, should have known better. They all should have known better.
We, now, must know better. Be careful. Sometimes ‘tis better to be silent and thought the fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt. The clock has, indeed, struck thirteen.
I agree up to a point. Trump knows. It was widely reported he was over an hour late for his speech with Capitol protesters. The videos of supreme court “riot” started coming out before he completed his remarks and marchers arrived enmass at the supreme court…too soon to be blamed for inciting anything. Check timeline of events. Many others reported skipping the march and and heading home after Trump’s remarks. Identification is in process, but we’re not hearing much about who they are yet and MSM doesn’t seem very interested on that part and notice that they never play Trump himself making his remarks, only their claims of incitement and insurrection. I think there’s more to come, to learn.
Kudos to Trooper Hall for his insightful and courageous comments concerning those patriots In D.C. this past week! FAIL, on the part of Col. Birmingham and the public safety commissioner Schirling for their liberal snowflake reaction! Unfortunately, this type of leftist, communist censorship only extends to people who have conservative beliefs! I wonder if the Col. and Schirling were this quick condemning the death and destruction of hundreds of cities 10 months ago as the terrorist groups like ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter were rampaging. Probably not! The use of the term “insurgency” is pretty ridiculous! These patriots had every right to enter the Capitol building; I guess it was the person with their feet up on Pelosi’s desk that caused the fear in the mind of this commissioner and This VSP Colonel! It probably was way beyond their comprehension level to notice that nobody burned or destroyed anything in that building! Ok, maybe a few panes of glass! How ridiculous, claiming Trooper Halls remarks caused “pain and anguish” upon Vermonters! How ridiculous to claim that Trooper Hall was advocating for the “overthrow” of our “constitutionally defined democratic election process”! I believe there’s a section of the Declaration of Independence that says in part; “whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it“! In my opinion, the majority of elected officials in Washington have been derelict in their duty to act within the Constitution of the United States! It is obvious that 10’s of millions of Americans can see this treason! Trooper Hall is obviously one of those Americans! The response to This “indescribably stressful time in our national history” Is not to lie down and allow the traitors to complete their takeover of our country! In my opinion, we would ALL be much more secure if every police officer in this country be able to express their opinion like Trooper Hall has done! As it is, our police have become too militarized and are in lock step with those political forces that are the very ones bent on the destruction of our Constitutional Republic! The idea that “ the beliefs and values of the Vermont State Police or its dedicated troopers and staff, who work each and every day to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law“, is somehow counter to Trooper Halls beliefs is ludicrous! He should be immediately reinstated, this bogus “investigation” stopped and I would call for the resignation of commissioner Schirling and Col. Birmingham, for such an egregious actions!
Hear, hear.
I think Trooper Hall should contact Trump’s staff and tell them his story. Maybe they would even have a job for him…a big improvement over this stasi state. Schirling’s statement sounds like it was written for him by his most recent social justice hire grad from Ivy U.
Question for anyone: Understanding (information) warfare, now that we have had our votes tossed, our speech smothered, justice, banking and jobs denied, what exactly to you think this goes next?
Just wondering what you think.
So let me see if I understand — “God Bless America!!!! Cheers to the great Patriots in Washington DC. The time has come … Let’s gooooo!!!”” is judged to be nono talk from a state employ — it “…support(s) the criminal insurgency that occurred yesterday at the U.S. Capitol and to advocate for such insurgency to continue…” and so he is sanctioned by the state. The outrage in the capital building was sufficient to characterize the demonstration about the elections’ integrity as an “insurgency”. Is that about it? Really having difficulty with this. I suspect other citizens are also.
These kind of “cancel” attacks have no place in a free society that has Constitutional protections on free expression.
Comments were made OFF DUTY and not on taxpayer-financed equipment. Tolerating this affront to free expression only draws us nearer to totalitarianism. We get what we vote for. If he had instead supported the actions of insurgent leftists throwing gasoline bombs at police officers in Portland Oregon he instead would be nominated for a profiles in courage award in this twilight zone of Vermont. The Trooper should simply deny that he had anything to do with the post and that he was hacked by antifa…
I am on the cops side, He does have free speech, doesn’t he? And as long as he does his job, I really do not care what he thinks.
no freedom of speech allowed anymore in Vermont, even in your private life! George Orwell was right!
It is important that that the state of Vermont be extremely careful when it comes to the constitutional rights of its employees, regardless of their station. The press releases, questioning, future disposition of employees’ standing, and final results must tread lightly on any individual’s rights, not only to protect those rights, but also to be sure that a door of opportunity isn’t opened wide concerning future complaints.