This was NOT the takeaway Officer Cole Daniels was supposed to have!

CHAPEL HILL, NC – a police officer that was guarding the Confederate statue at the University of North Carolina nicknamed “Silent Sam” during the rally that saw its toppling is under fire after observers recognized a tattoo on his forearm indicating he may be supportive of the so-called Patriot militia movement, a neo-fascist campaign that is closely associated with the neo-fascist elements such as those they came out to protect during the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA last year.

Instead of denouncing the Patriot movement, however, Officer Cole Daniels simply said he will not publicly show the tattoo anymore.

“Chapel Hill Police Officer Daniels has responded to our concerns about his tattoo. He expressed regret that his tattoo has been associated with groups that perpetuate hatred and violence,” a statement from the office of from Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue read.

We understand the concerns regarding the negative interpretations of the tattoo and regret it was displayed,” the statement continued This will not occur again.”

The tattoo of a roman numeral 3 inside a circle of 13 stars is of the logo of the Three Percenters (III%ers), a militia movement who pledge armed resistance against those they view run afoul of the Constitution. The name refers to the three percent of colonists who participated in the American Revolution against the King, those that they claim a sort of kinship to.

Members of the III%ers however, have been involved in several crimes across the country, many of them hate crimes, in pursuit of their ideals. In March members of the White Rabbit Three Percent Illinois Patriot Freedom Fighters Militia were arrested for bombing a mosque in Bloomington, MN. and attempted to blow up a women’s health clinic in Champaign, IL. Last year, 23-year-old Jerry Drake Varnell, who identified with III%er ideology and was attempting to start his own group, was arrested for attempting to bomb a bank in Oklahoma City, OK. Today, Alex Michael Ramos of the III% Security Force as well as the Georgia Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights and Proud Boys, was sentenced to six years for his participation in the assault on counterprotester DeAndre Harris during the “Unite the Right” rally.

It was because of this that many took exception to Daniels, who joined the police force in 2014, standing guard over the “Silent Sam” statue just before it was pulled down later that evening. Durham resident Beth Newsome said in a tweet that Chapel Hill Police said he had passed all the background checks.

A police officer standing guard at Silent Sam sports a tattoo with the three percenter symbol. These “patriot” groups have been known to openly protect racists, fascists and neo-Nazis including on A12 2017 in Charlottesville and in Portland for the Patri… https://t.co/TEACCPatKx pic.twitter.com/vDfjwE7oQl

— Daniel Hosterman (@dhosterman) August 21, 2018

Just talked to CH police- the tattoo is real but they say the officer passed all background checks. They are going to make a statement.

— beth newsome (@bethnewsome) August 22, 2018

Police officers have been disciplined in the past for their associations with III%ers. In 2011, a group of officers in Jersey City, NJ were disciplined for seperating themselves from their unit and declaring themselves a part of the Three Percenter movement.

Chief Blue’s statement also said that the tattoo and what is has been seen as “is inconsistent with the values and mission of our department. We expect employees to abide by our values in the performance of their duties for the Town.”