

A flippant bumper sticker with the words "shoot a cop" scribbled on it has Virginia police in a tizzy.



NBC 12 reports:

NBC12 viewers contacted 12 On Your Side about a bumper sticker that reads "SHOOT A COP." It's gotten the attention of the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police. Is it Free Speech or a terroristic threat?



"It's absolutely very dangerous," said Kevin Carroll with the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police. "It's dangerous for the officers."



The image is making the rounds on social media.



"Officers make mistakes," said Carroll. "I understand that, but I did not know that it now has become fashionable to hate the police." NBC 12 asked a legal analyst whether the bumper sticker was free speech or a "terroristic threat." Brace yourselves for this shocker: their expert says it's free speech.



Nonetheless, while they acknowledge it's free speech, the NBC affiliate still ends their report with an ominous threat that their "legal analyst wants you to know." They warn the driver and the public that "once this [bumper sticker] incites violence, you could find yourself in a world of trouble."



Yes, no doubt someone will take one glance at this driver's bumper sticker and decide to murder a police officer.



It's free speech, the only thing this driver has to fear is police retaliation, which while they note it's illegal for police to do so, cops tend not to know the law nor follow it.











