I am writing this in the hopes that someone in law enforcement or journalism will read this and take it seriously. I know a Sacramento-based CHP (California Highway Patrol) officer who is deeply immersed in rightwing extremism, has been obsessed for many months about the election being stolen, and has Nazi and racist tattoos on his chest and back. He has expressed a multitude of disturbing statements, including the need for "military action" to keep Trump in the White House. I will refrain from naming him in this article, but if you are a journalist or law enforcement official, please contact me personally.
This is extremely disturbing given the fact that the CHP is the agency in charge of security in the Sacramento state Capitol, and the FBI has issued warnings of rightwing extremist violence targeting all 50 state capitals. This officer has been involved in security at the capitol many times before, including during the BLM protests this summer. I am very concerned that he may give information and aid to other extremists trying to breach the state capitol.
In fact, I had tried to warn someone at the Sacramento Bee about him during this summer's protests, and repeated my warnings to them yesterday and today, but have not gotten a reply. Yesterday I sent a tip to the FBI re: this officer, but as they are currently inundated with tips, and I don't have any specific crime to divulge, I don't know whether they'll follow up on this or not.
During the summer's protests, the officer repeatedly and vociferously expressed deeply racist and violent opinions re: the protesters, suggesting that he wanted to brutalize and even kill protesters, and otherwise viewed the situation as a war. He also used many racist epithets. He revealed that he and fellow officers were training with members of the military using AK-47s or similar assault weapons.
The officer has Nazi symbols tattooed on his back, specifically two police shields, one over each shoulder blade, with Nazi 'SS' symbols inside them. On his chest he has a large tattoo of a black man bent over a police car, with a white cop standing above him, possibly holding him down. I have not seen these tattoos myself, but they were described to me.
Comments that he made during the BLM protests, roughly paraphrased, include, “We are on a mission to clean the trash,” “We are going to war,” and “we are going to see a new way of policing, and a new country entirely.”
This man has been banned from Facebook and possibly other social media sites for expressing violent and extremist views. His obsession with overturning this election (or as he sees it, rescuing the country) is more than a passing fancy; it should be seriously alarming. After the absurd legal challenges to overturn the election failed, he has expressed that “military action” may be necessary.
I know the officer, but most of this information comes to me through a close personal friend of mine, who has had a close relationship to the officer. Though I haven’t heard any specific plans, I don't know what he might be capable of, but given what's been going on, it would be foolish not to take this seriously.
This officer personally met with the president 2 years ago, after the disastrous Camp Fire in Paradise, CA. The officer had lost his home in the fire and had helped rescue some people during the disaster. His reward was a personal meeting with his idol, and a photograph with the president that the officer used as his Christmas card that year — photoshopped to show a young boy in a uniform saluting the president.
In addition to the Sac Bee and the FBI, I have also tried contacting the L.A. Times. If anyone has any other suggestions, please share.
Thank you, and let’s be vigilant during these worrisome times.