MUSKEGON, MI – A Muskegon police officer has been placed on administrative leave while the city investigates an allegation that his home contains racist memorabilia.

City Manager Frank Peterson said officer Charles Anderson, who is white, is on leave indefinitely pending the investigation.

The memorabilia was discovered by an African-American Muskegon man who toured Anderson’s house, which is for sale.

The Muskegon man, Rob Mathis, posted on Facebook that he and his wife saw Confederate flags in the house and garage, and a framed “Application for citizenship” to the Ku Klux Klan on a wall in a bedroom. Mathis posted a picture of the framed KKK document on Facebook.

My wife and I have been house shopping for a little over a month now; searching houses in Sterling Heights, GrandRapids,... Posted by Rob Mathis on Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Peterson confirmed that house, which is located in the northern Muskegon County community of Holton, is owned by Anderson.

“I immediately stopped my walk-through and informed the realtor that I am not writing an offer on this home and I am leaving now,” Mathis wrote on Facebook about after he saw the KKK document. “I feel sick to my stomach knowing that I walk to the home of one of the most racist people in Muskegon hiding behind his uniform and possibly harassing people of color and different nationalities.”

Mathis did not name Anderson in his post but concluded: “To the officer, I know who you are and I will be looking at resources to expose your prejudice. As for now pictures speak 1000 words.”

Peterson said Anderson has been on the Muskegon police force for more than 20 years.

Reached at his house, Anderson told an MLive reporter: “They said not to talk about it. That’s what they told me. Because it’s under internal investigation they said not to make a statement.” Anderson declined to elaborate.

The officer’s union, Police Officers Labor Council, declined to discuss the matter, saying they don’t comment on pending issues.

Reyna and Rob Mathis pose for a portrait outside their home in Muskegon, Michigan.

Mathis is a U.S. Army veteran who was born and raised in Detroit. In an interview with MLive, he and his wife, Reyna, who is a Muskegon native, said they are looking for a house with more land for their children and grandchildren.

Rob Mathis said when he saw the KKK application on the wall “I thought, let me get the hell out of here right now — this is a Klan house."

Rob Mathis said he knew it was the home of a police officer because he saw a police jacket as well as a picture of the officer in uniform.

"I just felt so gross after being in that house, like I needed to be dipped in hand sanitizer,” Rob Mathis added. “I thought, I need to say something because this is a public servant. He can't be impartial and fair to minorities if that's how he thinks. I was just mortified."

Reyna Mathis said she was hesitant about her husband putting their story on social media.

“At first, I didn’t want him to post anything. I was worried about our safety, our kids safety, but then Rob said, ‘We have to stand for something or we’ll fall for anything.’”

Anderson was cleared of fatally shooting a black man in 2009.

According to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle archives, Julius Johnson, 23, fled on foot with Anderson in pursuit after a traffic stop in the early morning of Sept. 23, 2009.

A scuffle ensued, during which Anderson shot Johnson.

Anderson was severely beaten in the head and said he feared for his life when he pulled the trigger, according to the findings of an investigation report created by then Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague.

Tague cleared Anderson of any wrongdoing in the death of Johnson, according to MLive archives.

The prosecutor also said Anderson could have died in the attack and that evidence gathered from the investigation showed Anderson was “justified in using deadly force.”

However, several family members and the Muskegon chapter of the NAACP said at the time that they were dissatisfied with Tague’s findings.

MLive reporters Lynn Moore and Justine Lofton contributed to this report.