On February 11th, 2021, the Seattle Times reported that records show connections between a Renton Police Department officer and a Proud Boy leader who was arrested at the Capitol Riots on January 6th. This comes under a time of heightened concern, as at least six Seattle Police Department officers were reported to have attended the “Stop the Steal” rally preceding the riots which promoted the lie that the 2020 elections were stolen from Trump. Advocates have claimed that attending events and associations with leaders of hate groups shows a serious lapse in judgment, especially for a job which has the sworn purpose to uphold the law.
Renton is not unfamiliar with extremism. According to the Times, Records show that Ethan Nordean, the Proud Boy “Seargant at Arms” went into a business partnership twice with Renton Police Department Officer Trevor Davidson beginning in 2017. Davidson claims that he ended the partnership in 2019, but the Seattle Times article states, “one witness’s account and information in state business records appear at odds.” Additionally, one of their businesses, named “Iron Glory”, gives the perception of fascist-related symbolism and leads to questions about the political orientation of the officer. Here are some examples of names used by existing fascist groups as identified by the ADL: the Iron Cross (symbol), the Iron Front (group), the Iron Guard (group), the “iron pill” (colloquial).
The Seattle Times last reported the officer will remain on duty as the department continues to review connections to extremism. If you see any hate group activity or other hate incidents, please report them.
Comments are closed.