The Vermont attorney general is calling for the resignation of a state trooper from the Shaftsbury Barracks who posted statements on his personal Facebook page that supported the riots in Washington.
“God Bless America!!!!” Luke Hall, a sergeant with the Vermont State Police, posted to Facebook on Wednesday. “Cheers to the great Patriots in Washington DC. The time has come… Let’s gooooo!!!”
A commenter replied, “there are going to be riots,” with an emoticon of a sad face, to which Hall responded, “it might be war… We are beginning to see good, law-abiding citizens stand against a corrupted Government.”
Hall’s account appears to have been deactivated as of Thursday morning.
In an interview Thursday, Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan said he’d been in contact with Col. Matt Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police, that morning.
“This trooper needs to be fired or needs to resign immediately,” Donovan said. “You cannot have a law enforcement officer calling for the violent overthrow of our government. He’s lost my trust, he’s lost the trust of the public. This is completely unacceptable.”
Michael Schirling, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said in a statement that he has opened an internal investigation and suspended Hall without pay. An update to the public will be provided within several days.
“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,” the statement said.
As a law enforcement officer, Hall’s position is not protected by the First Amendment, Donovan said.
“It is one thing for a private citizen to say something on social media,” Donovan said. “It is entirely different and unacceptable for a public peace officer, a law enforcement officer, whose power is given by the people of this state, to advocate and condone the violent overthrow of our government and an assault on our Capitol. He needs to resign.”
After being egged on by President Donald Trump early Wednesday afternoon, a mob overran the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying the results of the presidential election. One woman was shot and killed and a police officer died from injuries sustained in the attack. Three other people died as a result of medical emergencies.
All three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation were able to exit the Capitol safely and later return to complete their work to certify the election.
VTDigger was unable to reach Hall for comment Thursday morning.
The Attorney General’s Office also requested that Acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen “immediately conduct a thorough criminal investigation and prosecute anyone, including President Donald Trump, for inciting and carrying out this riot,” according to a statement released Thursday morning.
“Vermont stands ready to assist you in any way necessary to investigate and prosecute the wrongdoers of this seditious act,” Donovan wrote to Rosen’s office.
He said anyone found to have contributed to the breaching of the Capitol building should be prosecuted.
“It’s un-American, and it’s criminal, what happened yesterday,” he said.
This story has been updated to include a statement from Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling.
