A sheriff’s sergeant in Broward County, Florida has been demoted after wearing a patch referring to the QAnon conspiracy theory in a picture with Vice President Mike Pence last week, according to multiple reports.
Sgt. Matt Patten (pictured above, left) put the patch on in order to get it in a picture with Pence, BuzzFeed News and the Miami New Times reported based on a memo from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office they obtained. TPM has contacted the sheriff’s office for a copy of the memo.
Pence’s picture with Patten, in which the QAnon patch and another unauthorized patch showing an ax and scythe are clearly visible, was initially posted on the vice president’s official Twitter account before eventually being taken down and replaced. RightWingWatch’s Jared Holt first spotted the patch.
Patten was reprimanded for “conduct unbecoming an employee” and removed from the Broward Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and its Strategic Investigations Division Office of Homeland Security, BuzzFeed News reported after speaking with a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. The Daily Beast also reported Patten’s removal from the SWAT team, based on an internal report.
“This resulted in negative ramifications on a national platform as a controversy for the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the County, the SWAT team, and Sergeant Patten,” the sheriff’s office said in its reprimand of Patten, per the Times. “The controversy also caused the V.P.O.T.U.S. Office Website to delete the image.”
QAnon believers are common at President Donald Trump’s political rallies; a leading proponent of the conspiracy took a picture with the President in the Oval Office in August.
This is normal, right? I mean, this happens all the time. Remember when the Black Panthers wore “Death to Whitey” patches when they met with Obama?
Glad to hear this guy has to suffer some consequences for his actions. Fox is probably going to be all upset that he has to suffer for doing something stupid, but oh well.
The consequences probably just reinforced the conspiracy to these guys. No getting through to some people.
I think the scariest part by far, is that someone with the dedication and skill to make SWAT could be such a completely nuckingfuts ace in the hole.
I’m glad to hear this public servant lost money for showing his hateful strikes while on the JOB!
Besides how would he feel if a female cop wore a “pussy hat” while working as his counterpart?