Insurrection

Mark Kessler
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Late last month we told you about Police Chief Mark Kessler of Gilberton, PA. He was the one making videos of himself making various threats and railing against his perceived political adversaries and general going militia – despite the fact that he’s not just some lone gun nut but the police chief, the guy who’s supposed to be upholding the law.

In the background, Kessler had ambiguous ties with a self-styled paramilitary group which he claimed might be required to fight the federal government’s unconstitutional actions. Later as the town started wondering what kind of situation they had on their hands, the Borough Council suspended him for 30 days.

Now the town is demanding that he provide an inventory of the guns he purchased while he was working for the city.

From the Morning Call

“At this time we are requesting an inventory of the weapons currently registered in the name of the Borough of Gilberton Police Department. We also need to know the location of these guns,” Domalakes said in the letter dated Thursday.

The letter notes that at the meeting Wednesday where Gilberton council suspended Kessler without pay for 30 days, it also passed a policy barring borough employees from using their affiliation in any public statement, video or document without council’s permission.

“We are advising that Chief Kessler should remove any reference to his employment with the Borough of Gilberton from his ‘YouTube’ posts, ‘Facebook’ posts and other Internet statements,” Domalakes said.

Kessler’s lawyer, Joseph P. Nahas of Frackville, Pa., did not immediately return a phone call Monday afternoon.

At a meeting where more than 100 people jostled for space inside the meeting room and others carried semi-automatic weapons outside, Borough Council voted 5-1 without discussion to suspend Kessler, the police department’s only member. In the meantime, state police will cover the borough.

Residents had been angrily calling Borough Hall as media all over the country, as well as at least one website in the United Kingdom, carried the story of Kessler’s videos.

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