Vandal spray-paints 'Black Lives Matter' on Asheville Fraternal Order of Police lodge

ASHEVILLE — Officers from the Asheville Police Department are investigating an incident at the local chapter of the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police after a vandal damaged property and spray-painted the words "Black Lives Matter" on its building early Monday.

Police spokesperson Christina Hallingse said the incident took place at about 4 a.m. Monday at the FOP lodge at 18 Piney Park Road. The suspect, a male, painted the words on the building, referencing the international activist movement, in addition to damaging an on-site security camera and smashing the windows out of an FOP van, Hallingse said.

The incident was reported to police at about 1 p.m. Monday.

Rondell Lance, a retired police officer and president of the lodge, said the last time members were at the property was on Friday. He said the local FOP has cameras around its building and has since turned the tape of the incident over to local law enforcement.

"I pulled up here this morning and was just taken aback," he said. "I wondered who would do this and why would they do this to our lodge?"

Lance identified the suspect as a white man. In addition to the damage, Lance said the individual took down the lodge's U.S. flag and "ran it back up upside down."

He estimates the total damage from the incident to be about $5,000.

"I'm thinking it's more of an ANTIFA or anti-government-type person rather than somebody that's involved with Black Lives Matter," he said. "It's someone just trying to keep the community upset and trying to stir up strife in the community."

He added that he's maintained a dialogue with DeLores Venable, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Asheville, and the local NAACP chapter, noting that "I don't think they would have someone come out here and do this."

The incident comes as the city remains on edge following the release of police body camera footage showing Officer Chris Hickman, who is white, beating black pedestrian Johnnie Jermaine Rush in an incident that took place in August.

Police body camera video obtained by the Citizen Times shows officer Chris Hickman beating Johnnie Jermaine Rush with punches to the head while Rush was being restrained by Hickman and another officer. In the video, from a camera worn by Hickman, Rush says multiple times that he can't breathe as he is restrained.

He also was shocked twice with a stun gun while being held on the ground.

Hickman resigned from the department in January. He was arrested on charges of felony assault by strangulation, misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury and misdemeanor communicating threats late last week.

Lance said the local FOP has condemned Hickman's actions, but will continue to try to be part of the discussion in the community, even amid the vandalism incident.

"From our standpoint, we just hope there's one guy responsible," he said. "We think it's just one person for whatever reason and they chose when there's all this turmoil in the community to do this crime.

"We still are going to be a part of the community and we're still going to find solutions."