ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The St. Paul Police Department is reviewing its policies on how officers express political views after an officer decorated a private vehicle with the logo of a far-right group known for anti-government views and toting guns at protests.
A St. Paul resident wrote to Police Chief Todd Axtell after spotting a police officer get into a truck with a sticker promoting the “Three Percenters,” the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The Three Percenters are a militia group who believe 3% of the country’s population could overthrow a tyrannical government.
Axtell responded to the complaint by saying that “there is no room for hate or bias in this police department,” and that he was reviewing how officers appropriately express political views. The department said it is not investigating the officer. The police union said the officer is not connected to a militia.
The resident reported that the sticker had been removed from the truck when he spotted it again several days later.
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the Three Percenters as an anti-government organization. The group, meanwhile, describe themselves on their website as “patriotic citizens who love their country, their freedoms, and their liberties,” and deny that the group is a militia or anti-government.
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