Arkansas police chief resigns after making comments about ‘death to all’ Democrats

Lang Holland steps down after his hateful rhetoric drew ire from the community

Nov 10, 2020

A police chief in rural Arkansas has been forced to resign after spewing a hateful threat to political opponents.

According to a local FOX affiliate, police chief Lang Holland sparked outrage in the rural town of Marshall, Arkansas, after he went on a social media platform heavily used by alt-right extremists to call for violence against people that don’t share his political views.

The site in question, known as Parler, is a website described as a “free speech social media focused on protecting user’s rights” and has gained popularity with white supremacists who were pushed off of Facebook for hate speech.

In the posts, Holland wished death on liberals, writing in one post, “Death to all Marxist Democrats. Take no prisoners leave no survivors!!”

https://twitter.com/KATVViktoria/status/1325189344705957889

“He uses social media and interacts with a known gang that emphasizes white supremacy, extremism, and violence,” said a spokesperson from The Ozarks Coalition, which asked for the police chief’s letter of resignation. On the site, Holland’s stated affiliations listed were The Patriots and Ozark Proud Boys, according to KNWA.

According to The Associated Press, “Holland is among a number of police chiefs and sheriffs in Arkansas and elsewhere who say they won’t enforce statewide mask requirements, even within their departments. Some say they don’t have the manpower to respond to every mask complaint, treating violations of the requirement as they would oft-ignored minor offenses such as jaywalking. Others, including Holland, reject the legal validity of mask requirements.”

A rally protesting Holland’s comments was planned for Sunday at Marshall City Hall, but on Saturday the police chief succumbed to the outcry from concerned citizens and resigned.

The city’s mayor, Kevin Elliott, confirmed the resignation in a letter to the community, per People.

“The City of Marshall condemns the actions of Mr. Holland in his posts to social media,” he wrote. “The Marshall community does not in any way support or condone bullying or threats of violence to anyone of any political persuasion! We condemn it!”

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