13 On Your Side obtained a separation agreement between the City of Muskegon and Charles Anderson through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Close alerts. Officer. She said she only realized after the report was released Monday that the officer she was accused of assaulting was Anderson. The authorities said that Mr. Johnson had repeatedly hit the officer in the head with a blunt object. The public radio program aired the first part, titled A Couple Walks Into a House on Jan. 21, and the second part, A City Walks Into an Investigation on Jan. 28. 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. However, he did interview Andersons wife, Rachel, about their interest in collecting historic and vintage items. Officer Charles Anderson of the Muskegon Police Department gives his testimony at the Muskegon County Hall of Justice on March 20, 2019. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Muskegon Police Officer Charles Anderson will retire with full benefits at the end of 2020, according to a separation agreement with the city. Charles Anderson was terminated after a Thursday morning hearing. The man behind the Facebook post, Robert Mathis, uploaded a picture of the KKK document on Facebook on Aug. 7 after touring Andersons home with his wife, Reyna, their two children and a realtor. Cop fired for KKK, Confederate flag memorabilia signs separation agreement. He said that he and his wife, brother and son had toured the officers house in early August with a realtor. They both exited the vehicle and refused the officer's orders. The Mathises said they eventually decided to post on Facebook what they had seen out of concern that Black citizens could run into trouble with Anderson if they encountered him on the streets. "I feel as though we are being punished because of something we saw in a home that we never asked to see.". In the first case, Robert was pulled over by Anderson for speeding, while Reyna was in the passenger seat. According to the findings of an investigation from the county's prosecutor, Johnson beat Anderson in. His wife, Rachael Anderson, told WOOD-TV her husband isn't a Klan member. Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson and the city attorney's officereleased a 421-page reporton the investigation of Charles Anderson, as well as his history as a policeofficer before he was fired. They said friends of their 12-year-old daughter told her their parents wouldnt let them talk to her. Mathis, who is black, previously told NBC News he did not know or disclose the officer's identity in the post, but that other social media users identified him in the comment thread. According to the report, Robert Mathis toured Anderson's home with his family and a real estate agentAug. 7. 1117 First published on August 12, 2019 / 10:44 AM. Peterson refused to provide further details about what was discussed during the disciplinary hearing, but said that a redacted version of the inquiry into . 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. 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. 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. Kayla Renie/Muskegon Chronicle, via Associated Press. 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 multiple Confederate flags. Ext. Anderson, who is white, was placed on administrative leave last month after a prospective home buyer said he saw a framed Ku Klux Klan application and multiple Confederate flags in his house. Charles Anderson was placed on leave last month after a prospective home buyer said they saw a Ku Klux Klan application and Confederate flags in his house. 1119 Police Clerk Deasha Hill [email protected] Ext. Charles Anderson was fired from the Muskegon Police Department on Sept. 13. Sign up for email updates from the City of Muskegon, including information on major events, traffic and other important city projects. Now, the. ", Example video title will go here for this video. Acomplaint in 2010 alleged that he acted "rudely and disrespectfully" when he arrestedtwo people and usedpepper spray. Anderson is on paid administrative leave after an apparent . A second citizen complaint from 2016 involved a DUI arrest in which Anderson did not secure a vehicle after the arrest and did not return a person's driver's license, according to the report. Prosecutors:US Army soldier planned to kill 'antifa' activists, bomb a major news network. Last August Rob Mathis, who is black, toured Anderson's home in Holton with his wife Reyna and a Realtor. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. I walked into the most racist home Ive ever been in in my life, Mr. Mathis said. Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Anderson, who had been with the department for more than two decades, denied ever being a KKK member or supporter and said that the Confederate items Mathis saw in his home are a "very small part" of an extensive collection of "Dukes of Hazard memorabilia he has spent decades gathering, according to the report. I first read about this a couple years ago in the newspaper, the story with the attention-grabbing power of a bad joke. discovered Ku Klux Klan memorabilia inside his home, California utility cuts power to more than 20,000 customers, US Army soldier planned to kill 'antifa' activists, bomb a major news network, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Application Was Found in His Home, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/us/officer-charles-anderson-ku-klux-klan.html. Anderson said he feared for his life, according to the findings of an investigation report created by then-Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague. The radio program explores other complaints against Anderson, including one in which he ended up pepper-spraying elderly people at a backyard birthday party when he responded to a noise complaint. The City of Muskegon has a population of about 37,000, according to census data. He said in a news interview with MLive that Reyna is a native of Muskegon, Michigan. 2023 City of Muskegon. The Muskegon Police Department Policy and Procedure Order states that officers' decorum and behavior should not "undercut public trust" in the department. Finally we hear the officer - and his wife - explain themselves. Rob Mathis, the prospective homebuyer, posted on Facebook. 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. The stationreported that since posting the KKK application on Facebook, Robert and Reyna Mathis have receiveddeath threats. Mr. Mathis, 52, an Army veteran who is black, said that the picture he had posted on Facebook of the K.K.K. The department assures the public that they are investigating the allegations. 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 [email protected] Ext. Technically, he signed a separation agreement and walked away with his pension and health insurance. He said his wife was upset, and he told her, Were getting out of here. The realtor was very apologetic, he added. Hilson said the investigation's results will drive reconsideration of the 2009 case, according to MLive.com. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214761835347198&set=a.1058959801946&type=3. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Mathises discuss the backlash they received, including receiving threats and having racial slurs hurled at them. He cant say anything right now, Ms. Anderson said. Anderson adamantly denied he is a part of the KKK and pointed out that as a Catholic, he would be considered "a target" of the hate group. Effective December 31, 2020, Anderson's employment with the city will end by way of his retirement. 1116, Address:1990 E. Apple AveMuskegon, MI 49442, Hours:Monday Thursday: 7:30 am 6:00 pmclosed for lunch from 1:00 to 1:30Fridays by appointment only, 2022 All Rights Reserved, Charter Township of Muskegon, Website Designed by Shumaker Technology group. Anyone can read what you share. Mathis is a U.S. Army veteran who was bornin Detroit. 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. "This whole situation is very disheartening," Reyna Mathis said. This prompted calls for the firing of the 24-year force . ARPA Community Grant Program Details + Application IE 11 is not supported. 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.. Michigan police officer fired after a framed Ku Klux Klan application, was fired from the Muskegon Police Department. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI The case of a Muskegon police officer fired after Confederate flags and KKK memorabilia were found in his home was the subject of a two-part series by the This American Life radio program that examines the difficulty of rooting racism out of police forces. Muskegon police officer Charles Anderson has been placed on leave pending an investigation into the couple's claims, the police department said. 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. Anderson was cleared in late 2009 of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Julius Allen-Ray Johnson. I feel sick to my stomach knowing that I walk to the home of one of the most racist people in Muskegon hiding behind his uniform and possibly harassing people of color and different nationalities, Mathis says in the post. I dont know. He was cleared of wrongdoing in the 2009 shooting of an unarmed black man, who, an investigation found, used Anderson's police radio and . The report confirmed that the officer had six encounters with Robert and Reyna Mathis, datingto July 2008. Read MLive coverage of the Charles Anderson case: Fired Muskegon officers personnel file reflects shooting incidents, high praise, Mortified Michigan couple talk about finding KKK memorabilia in officers home, City fires police officer who had KKK memorabilia in home, Ex-police officer says KKK document was an antique, denies being racist, Interview with ex-officer sheds light on racist memorabilia found in home. application hanging on the wall. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. RELATED: Report: Fired Muskegon officer says he's an antique collector. Official Internal Investigations Report - Officer Anderson September 24, 2019 IA 19-06 Official Report Charles Anderson Inquiry with redactions [28MB PDF] Previous Next Document Search Stay Connected Sign up for email updates from the City of Muskegon, including information on major events, traffic and other important city projects. 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. "I was like 'Oh my god! 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.. On December 31, 2020 Anderson will have accrued a total of 25 years and two months of service credit. The city's investigation claims items with images of Confederate flags at Anderson's home were part of a "Dukes of Hazzard" collection. Hilson told the outlet in Aug. I guess I cant answer that question. The shooting was determined to be an act of self-defense. . The comments on that post exploded, Calhoun said, leading to the citys decision to place Anderson on leave and conduct the investigation. ARPA Community Grant Program Details + Application The Muskegon Police Department Policy and Procedure Order does not specifically ban private displays of racist materials, MLive reports. It is essential that all members, in the execution of their duties, act not for themselves but for the good of the public. 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 saidhe's had run-ins with police and mighthave been arrested by Anderson. He was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing when the shooting was deemed to be an act of self-defense. He describes himself as an amateur historian who likes to collect antique items from that time period. In2016, a complaint stated that the officer did not give back a driver's license to an arrestee and that he did not secure a vehicle after the arrest. The citizen complaints were investigated by the department and Anderson was exonerated in both cases, the report states. The county prosecutor at the time determined that Mr. Anderson had shot in self-defense and cleared him of any wrongdoing. All parties agree not to file suit, submit charge, claim, or complaint to any agency, court, or judicial forum. [email protected] Rob Mathis posted a picture of the framed KKK application on Facebook, at the time knowing the home belonged to a Muskegon Police officer. In an interview with the city, Anderson confirmed that he had a Confederate flag hanging in his garage, a flag-decorated hot pad on his dining room table and a framed, blank copy of a KKK application from the 1920s. To census data agree not to file suit, submit charge, claim, or complaint to agency! He did interview Andersons wife, Rachael Anderson, told WOOD-TV her is! 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