The Ku Klux Klan document Robert Mathis says was on display at Muskegon Police Officer Charles Anderson's house. The Muskegon Police Department opened an internal investigation after Robert Mathis, who is black, posted a picture of the document on Facebook after touring Anderson's Holton-area home, which was for sale. This is a Klan house, really, we have to go right now.' They both exited the vehicle and refused the officer's orders. The stationreported that since posting the KKK application on Facebook, Robert and Reyna Mathis have receiveddeath threats. In October2008, Reyna Mathis was involved in a bar fight and accused of assaulting another person. Officer Charles Anderson was terminated after a disciplinary hearing concluded Thursday afternoon, Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson told NBC News. Officer Charles Anderson of the Muskegon Police Department gives his testimony at the Muskegon County Hall of Justice, on March 20, 2019. Muskegon Police Officer Charles Anderson was placed on paid administrative leave after a house hunter who was viewing the officer's home said he saw a framed Ku Klux Klan application and. Anderson "loves everything" about the show and has been to the fan convention, Duke Fest, several times. They also had seen Andersons Muskegon Police uniform and realized a police officer owned the home, the couple said. 13 On Your Side obtained a separation agreement between the City of Muskegon and Charles Anderson through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. During the radio broadcast, the Mathises recounted their hesitancy in reporting what they had seen in Andersons home and the backlash they received after they did. A prospective homebuyer found Confederate flags and a framed Ku Klux Klan application in the officers house in Holton, Mich. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Radio producer Ben Calhoun explored how the Mathises were negatively impacted by the case, other complaints regarding Andersons interaction with Black citizens and the difficulty in rooting out racist officers. Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Closed. The city announced on Aug. 8 that Officer Anderson, who is white and had been with the department for more than two decades, had been placed on administrative leave after he was found in possession of certain items associated with a white supremacist group. That announcement came one day after Rob Mathis, the prospective homebuyer, posted on Facebook the photo of the application, which is blank. I wish we could because it would probably set a lot of things straight., MLive, a media company based in Grand Rapids, reported that the Police Departments policy manual does not specifically ban private displays of prejudice, but says officers should perform all duties impartially, without favor or affection or ill will and without regard to status, sex, religion, political belief or aspiration.. Technically, he signed a separation agreement and walked away with his pension and health insurance. Rob Mathis posted a picture of the framed KKK application on Facebook, at the time knowing the home belonged to a Muskegon Police officer. Related: Cop fired for KKK, Confederate flag memorabilia signs separation agreement. In the report, Mathis said he toured the home because he and Reyna were looking for a residence that had a significant amount of land so the two of them, along with their 12-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son, could spend more time outdoors. Police officers will, therefore, avoid any conduct that might compromise integrity and thus undercut the public confidence in the officer or this law or this law enforcement agency, it says. The agreement also means a wrongful termination grievance Anderson and the Police Officers Labor Council filed against the city following the firing will be withdrawn. Get the top DEI news delivered straight to your inbox, Michigan Police Officer Charles Anderson on Leave After KKK Items Found in his Home, fatally shot a 23-year-old unarmed Black man Julius Allen-Ray Johnson, 5 Biggest News Stories of the Week: February 23, 5 Biggest News Stories of the Week: February 17, Race, Homelessness and the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility, How Companies Are Celebrating Black History Month, 5 Biggest News Stories of the Week: February 9. Muskegon police officer Charles Anderson has been placed on leave pending an investigation into the couple's claims, the police department said. During Anderson's remaining time on no-pay statues he'll not have access to employment-related benefits. I need a completed internal investigation.". Mr. Mathis, 52, an Army veteran who is black, said that the picture he had posted on Facebook of the K.K.K. IE 11 is not supported. Anderson told MLive.com he was advised not to comment amid the investigation. The. A Michigan police officer has been fired from the Muskegon Police Department following an inquiry into racist memorabilia found in his home that was for sale. The report includes an executive summary written by Muskegon Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis that concluded that some community leaders indicated that they had lost faith in Anderson and in the entire police department as a result of Anderson's actions. The first thing I noticed walking through the dining room was a Confederate flag placemat on the table, Mr. Mathis said. The This American Life programs include interviews with the couple, Rob and Reyna Mathis; Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson; Muskegon Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis; and Andersons wife, Rachel Anderson. Ext. Muskegon Police Officer Charles Anderson's employment was terminated during a disciplinary hearing that wrapped up at approximately 3 p.m., Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson told MLive. He will not be paid, and has not been, since. Frank Peterson, the city manager of Muskegon, confirmed on Friday that the officer, Charles Anderson, had been terminated, but said a report on the inquiry conducted by the Muskegon Police Department would not be released until next week. Hilson said the investigation's results will drive reconsideration of the 2009 case, according to MLive.com. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Reyna was jailedfor obstruction and assault on an officer. Janelle Griffith is a national reporter for NBC News focusing on issues of race and policing. Robertson says Anderson is the officer who made the arrest. All parties agree not to file suit, submit charge, claim, or complaint to any agency, court, or judicial forum. The Muskegon Police Department announced on Aug. 8 that it had opened an internal investigation after a social media post was "brought to its attention" accusing the veteran officer of "being in possession of certain items associated with a white supremacy group.". His wife, Rachael Anderson, told WOOD-TV her husband isn't a Klan member. RELATED: Report: Fired Muskegon officer says he's an antique collector. Among new information Calhoun uncovered was the fact Lewis conducted his own investigation apart from the formal one conducted by the police departments internal affairs team that found, in the chiefs words, Anderson seemed to have a lot of problems with African Americans throughout his career., In coming to that conclusion, Lewis referenced earlier concerns about Anderson and recounted a cell phone video of Anderson he had seen online about a year earlier. (12 minutes) application hanging on the wall. Charles Anderson was terminated after a Thursday morning hearing. "Whether or not officer Anderson has racist tendencies or not, would that move the needle one way or another? Anderson was cleared in late 2009 of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Julius Allen-Ray Johnson. Anderson placed Reyna under arrest for refusing to follow his orders, and she struck him in the face and eye with her hand, causing minor injury. RELATED: The. Whether or not officer Anderson has racist tendencies or not, would that move the needle one way or another? D.J. Referring to Officer Anderson, Mr. Mathis said: Its unfortunate that hes in our community, because he might have put people in jail on false charges, especially minorities. Officer Charles Anderson of the Muskegon Police Department gives his testimony at the Muskegon County Hall of Justice, in Muskegon on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. Officer Charles Anderson of the Muskegon Police Department in Michigan was terminated on Thursday. He said the flags are part of his extensive "Dukes of Hazzard" collection. The former police officer did not remove the item from the wall because he forgot it was in his antique collection room. It is essential that all members, in the execution of their duties, act not for themselves but for the good of the public. Close alerts, IA 19-06 Official Report Charles Anderson Inquiry with redactions [28MB PDF]. "This whole situation is very disheartening," Reyna Mathis said. Anderson served on the Muskegon police force since 1997. Patrick.Vandommelen2@mcd911.net document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Monday Thursday: 8:00am 5:30pm Peterson said the entire inquiry report would likely be released sometime next week. Officer Charles Anderson of the. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A police officer in Michigan was terminated on Thursday after a prospective homebuyer who had been touring the officers house posted a picture on social media of a framed Ku Klux Klan application he had seen there, spurring an internal investigation. She said she only realized after the report was released Monday that the officer she was accused of assaulting was Anderson. . "If he had just been anybody else," he said, "I wouldve just told my wife, you know, lets put an offer in on the house.". The document was obtained by 13 On Your Side through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request this week. However, it does outline that officers should not conduct themselves in a way that would compromise public trust. Records from the Michigan Department of Corrections show Robertson was arrested in Muskegon County in 2006 and served 12 years in prison. Former Muskegon police officer Charles Chuck Anderson was fired 10 days ago following an internal affairs investigation into the complaint by citizen Rob Mathis who saw a framed KKK. The Ku Klux Klan document Robert Mathis says was on display at Muskegon Police Officer Charles Anderson's house. Anderson had worked at the Muskegon Police Department for 20 years prior to being terminated. I said I cannot in good conscience bring him back here and put him on the streets of this town, Lewis told Calhoun. Because he was a police officer, it was my moral obligation to say something about it.. Anderson was cleared of any wrongdoing in that 2009 incident. Charles Anderson was fired from the Muskegon Police Department on September 12 following an investigation after potential homebuyers said they saw a framed KKK application and Confederate. Lewis questioned Andersons claim that the Confederate flags in his home were part of an extensive Dukes of Hazzard television show collection, telling Calhoun that Anderson never produced requested photos of the collection and so That bucket didnt hold water.. Mathis, 52, a U.S. Army veteran, has said he felt morally obligated to report what he had witnessed. The report also details a handful of encounters between Reyna and Robert Mathis and Anderson, including a 2008 incident in which he pulled them over for speeding. In the first case, Robert was pulled over by Anderson for speeding, while Reyna was in the passenger seat. When asked if hecontactedone of the owners, Mathis said he did not. August 12, 2019 / 10:44 AM Mathis took photos of a framed KKK application and Confederate flags in Anderson's Holton Township house while touring it with his wife, Reyna Mathis, and a realtor in early August. Anderson was fired in September following the release of the 421-page investigation by Muskegon Public Safety Director Jeffrey Lewis and Muskegon City Manager Peterson. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. ARPA Community Grant Program Details + Application, Authorities & Business Improvement Districts, Lot Division/Combination and New Address Applications, 2008 Downtown and Lakeshore Redevelopment Plan, Muskegon Lake Shoreline Assessment Report, 1997 Downtown/Lakeshore Redevelopment Plan, Downtown Development Authority/Brownfield Redevelopment Board, Crime Activity and Traffic Team Lieutenant, Sanford St and Houston Ave Road Construction, Sherman Blvd and Glenside Blvd Road Construction, Roberts St Road Construction and Water Service Line Replacement, Winter Parking Restrictions Begin December 1. Mathis said in the post that he and his wife, Reyna, had been house hunting for more than a month and thought the house "would be perfect" for them. "I was like 'Oh my god! Anderson said the unsigned KKK application from the 1920s is a historic item, purchased from a vendor in Indiana and collected as part of his interest in American history and antiques. Close alerts. It explores the case of former Muskegon Police Officer Charles Chuck Anderson who was fired after a Black couple from Muskegon, potential homebuyers, reported on social media they found racist material in Andersons Holton home that was for sale. A report by then-Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague found that Julius Johnson hit Anderson in the head with a police radio and "another blunt object" and noted that Anderson was forced to get a . Address 1990 E. Apple Avenue Muskegon, MI 49442 Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM (Closed 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM for Lunch Hour) Contact Phone: (231) 777-1666 (For Non-Emergencies Only) FOR ALL EMERGENCIES DIAL 911 Chief of Police Tim A. Thielbar Tim.Thielbar@mcd911.net Ext. Mathis, who is Black, said he felt disgusted by what he saw. Police uniform and realized a Police officer Charles Anderson of the 2009 case, Robert pulled. And policing parties agree not to comment amid the investigation also had seen Andersons Police! 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