0:00

WBEZ Chicago, is

0:02

This American Life from Ira Glass for

0:05

months. Now, now one of producers Ben Calhoun

0:07

has been working on what are the that

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starts small and simple and

0:11

personal, and it kind of It

0:13

spins So whole town is involved.

0:16

And I honestly

0:18

don't want to say too much about this. We could just

0:20

let it unfold. I've been. So without

0:23

further Ado, here's been robbing

0:26

random. Mathis. We're doing something unusual for

0:28

parents whose kids have mostly grown up and

0:30

left home. Then we're looking to upsize,

0:32

get more space. Your

0:34

house wouldn't small by bedrooms and

0:37

five acres. That rain and Rob

0:39

have a dozen kids plus grand kids.

0:42

And even though most of their children are out of the house

0:44

know the kind of parent's adult kids wanna spend time

0:46

with. They had vision:

0:49

place with enough land that some of their children would build

0:51

houses right by them. By

0:54

August twenty nine teen, they'd been house

0:56

hunting for months with no luck. Then

0:59

one day the realtor set Raina listing

1:01

that look promising. So the

1:03

math is drove out to see it in person on

1:05

sunny afternoon is pretty far

1:07

out in the country.

1:09

Madonna. Longer driveway back into

1:11

the blades until, they reached an enormous

1:13

sprawling lawn, and Rob looked, around

1:16

felt pretty well I'm like, man, i'm see all the key

1:18

value. Up with value trampoline over there for

1:20

Greg, to use every doing

1:22

the thing where doing just bought my first house and

1:24

I would just start to picture life

1:26

in those. Places the hell does that would all

1:29

those on like of it, you know how to make loads,

1:31

real zone, appropriate gifts and eighty these

1:33

and playground over there builders

1:36

route around. Probably with the family

1:38

the key is to have a good old, from you know

1:40

I mean our wheels were thin and of what were to, do

1:42

with that property. As they got

1:45

out of the car raina looked up at the house

1:47

raina huge orange break colonial. forty

1:50

six hundred square feet with to

1:52

story brick pillars out front In

1:55

when pulled I've always wanted a house with like huge

1:57

pillars and stuff like that seen.

1:59

them pill That would like, oh, my God, this is in

2:02

this is the one like I felt it. like

2:04

literally thousand in my son. When

2:07

he got out his smile and he is like mommy that

2:09

your pillars, you know, so it was like, "Yeah,

2:11

that's me right there"

2:14

The group that day was six, all together. It

2:16

was a realtor. Robin Rana also,

2:19

their youngest daughter of their sons. And

2:22

the sun's girlfriend. They walked

2:24

in the door into big Echo, leaf blower,

2:26

and they started looking around. The

2:29

notice pretty quickly the house was the early

2:31

stage as much as it was can empty.

2:34

Like lot of stuff had been removed. There

2:37

was the group walked into the dining room, there

2:39

wasn't much in it. The large cat scratching

2:41

post in the corner a, dark wood

2:43

dining room table, Rob

2:46

look at little collection stuff in the middle the table

2:48

some salt and pepper shakers on looking

2:50

at the, table and the place

2:52

Met was place confederate flag ellis

2:55

Hannah, like us, look kind

2:57

of like a glass cutting board, but it

2:59

was made with the flag in it, you know.

3:02

You're like one of those pyrex like

3:04

glass, think the you put hot pot sounds

3:06

of the, yeah? The mattresses, or

3:08

an interracial couple, rubs black

3:11

rain, is Mexican American. The

3:13

two of them convened a discrete married couple

3:15

eye contact conversation. Seems

3:18

you've gone sorta like I, see it,

3:20

you see. it okay we both

3:22

see it

3:23

I just read more here in my head hours

3:26

later, wow. Right everything

3:29

and everybody else you know their own opinions

3:31

so I'm. not even on penalties

3:33

incidents something incidents just keep

3:35

going to sit rescued one voice

3:44

From there the tour moved down to the living room

3:47

where Arena spotted something else a.

3:49

jacket hanging up from the muskegon

3:51

police department They also

3:53

spotted a photo of to police officers in uniform.

3:56

This house it was out in the country,

3:59

but it was pair of. The owned by police officer

4:01

who worked in Muskegon, Michigan. That's

4:03

where the math says, live. Renegade

4:06

Robin Nudge. Rob, look at the code

4:08

and turned to their twenty one year old son who'd come

4:10

with them.

4:12

Like while we're in a police house, I looked

4:14

a Muslim, I see don't touch

4:16

nothing to no avail,

4:18

don't legend of it this can how Rob

4:20

is. [Graph] Funny.

4:22

Yeah, when you know you, yeah, so

4:25

yes, I don't touch another.

4:26

So I remember that because will last and like my

4:28

son is grown. There

4:30

are they all went down into the basement. And

4:33

then into one of the houses to huge garages.

4:36

Why he sat at a war?

4:38

It was a Confederate flag probably

4:40

bought this be. Rob held

4:42

up his hands like to feet by

4:44

three feet. My name okay.

4:48

They want to Toronto look directly at the wall

4:51

behind me it was flag from

4:53

like from New Zealand are here to the floor

4:55

big flag on like ah there.

4:57

was like

4:58

One flag here one flag there

5:00

and and, I said some like this

5:02

a lot of flags in the real it's are kind of just laughed

5:04

it off you know like. like

5:07

thought wow okay Then

5:09

again I'm looking over my wife I'm like, man.

5:12

My leg in Islam really not like

5:14

in his.

5:15

Rapid, he glanced over at his kids to

5:18

see if they were catching on to any of this stuff.

5:20

Especially the youngest daughter, Aasia, who

5:23

is twelve at the time shy, sweet.

5:26

Probably kind of relieved to see that none of the kids were noticing

5:29

any of this. The

5:31

near every once in a split up.

5:33

Rob went upstairs into one of the bedrooms

5:36

with his son money that twenty one year

5:38

old and. hanging on the wall

5:41

The single would picture frame.

5:43

There's the whole empty wall images one

5:46

plaque on was so look

5:48

up at the pictures.

5:49

And I will get on like, are you kidding

5:52

me this is the KKK application?

5:55

The framed application from the nineteen

5:57

Twenties to join the KKK. Rubble

6:00

that his phone and took a picture. The

6:03

top corners of the paper and they were illustrated

6:05

white robe clansmen and rearing horses

6:08

thrusting torches into the air the,

6:11

application read. i the undersigned

6:13

a native born true and loyal citizens

6:16

united states of america In

6:18

white male gentile person of temperate habits,

6:21

sound mind and believer in the tenants

6:23

of the Christian religion, the maintenance of

6:25

white supremacy and the principles of

6:27

pure Americanism do most

6:29

respectfully apply for membership.

6:32

Rob. Was flustered honestly, oh,

6:35

hell, no, we gotta go, gotta go,

6:37

gotta go my son my son

6:39

was like what's wrong that i said this is house klansman

6:41

house we're leaving right now it

6:44

say you was it was weird everything said he just

6:46

solidified everything that this was thinking

6:48

of that this is what's going on

6:50

so when immediately saw that was immediately

6:53

let me get my family are you

6:55

All the sudden I hear him cousin in

6:58

common, down the stairs and he's like we gotta

7:00

now so I'm like what's

7:02

going on in. he didn't answer me he

7:04

to swap out the door my son was right behind

7:06

i'm sold me in the real it's her went upstairs

7:09

to see what was going on and The

7:11

same and got emotional like she started crying

7:13

now is a flake sale and they're like oh my

7:15

God what is real like you.

7:18

know what is going on

7:21

Robert outside in a spiral of freaking

7:23

out as, it i don't want to have

7:25

nothing to do a disaster

7:27

There's so much hate in his house, I cannot

7:29

have my family here.

7:31

Then your mind it just like racing through it just

7:33

raises durham like we have got to go, you

7:35

know they probably won't become home any

7:38

minute or might do a drab by

7:40

his see all these minorities. Leaving

7:42

the house me black man, my wife, Hispanic

7:45

and are to is er MiG, so I'm like we gotta go.

7:48

After seeing the application for herself. The

7:50

came out to talk to Rob.

7:52

Then he said that, like you know, he was like one of those

7:54

bodies, you know what if they held rallies

7:57

here, you know, he was a say in all kinds

7:59

of stuff and. The Globe. I

8:03

didn't even know how to feel like.

8:05

Our that said I was angry and was confused

8:08

you. know i just didn't understand why you would

8:11

It was like all these flags or whatever, how

8:13

can you not be a racist?

8:15

The real you're also came out with Raina.

8:18

The apologizing over and over say

8:20

she had no idea this was their first time

8:22

in side. Raina found herself

8:24

trying to make the realtor feel better.

8:26

They want her to feel like it was her fault or we

8:28

were blaming her so. i was trying

8:31

to talk to her and then she said as she

8:33

started looking into paperwork she was like it's and anderson

8:36

Officer Anderson. That

8:38

was the owner of the house. The officer

8:40

Charles Anderson.

8:42

Who at the time with a twenty one

8:44

year veteran of the Muskegon Police Department?

8:49

I first read about this a couple years ago in the newspaper.

8:52

The story with the attention grabbing power

8:55

of bad joke a. couple walks

8:57

into walks police officers house and she's

8:59

and kkk application on the wall And

9:02

from the beginning I had so many questions

9:05

partly. because muskegon were all this happens

9:07

this grew up across lake michigan in milwaukee

9:10

and milwaukee kind of felt like a place i knew rust

9:12

belt the segregated Can

9:14

I wanted to find out what would happen to

9:17

the police officer into this couple who

9:19

become linked in this off away after this day

9:21

in this house? It

9:23

would turn out to be this messy story about race

9:25

and policing where, people certainty

9:28

about what's right and wrong would collide

9:30

with what happens in the real world. and

9:33

the place that begins his in robin

9:35

rain his house when they get home that night

9:38

In act one. The decision.

9:41

Then we came home like rabbits really

9:43

upset.

9:50

It was just hard to talk about

9:52

because.

9:53

The go there and see something like there,

9:56

I mean, I've dealt with racial stuff but never.

9:59

You know, like.

10:00

It was like a slap in the face and then you're an officer

10:03

and. i just thought late Why

10:06

would you leave that their if you know you have

10:08

buyers coming to see or home?

10:11

Though the masses is debated whether they should

10:13

do something specifically,

10:15

whether they should go public about what they saw.

10:18

saw kkk application hanging up and

10:20

home of working police officer

10:23

Robin. Rain have had their share of experiences

10:25

with police green, isn't shy

10:27

that see in particular was kind of wild

10:29

when she was younger, is tough

10:31

nobody likes a. Party I'm

10:34

not perfect, she, told me and she

10:36

had a lot of run ins with cops some,

10:38

bad when violent but

10:40

here are both went out of their way. To say

10:42

they think most police officers go to work with

10:44

good intentions, they do their jobs

10:47

rubs retired. us army their straight

10:49

arrow retired see don't know if i ever

10:51

seen him without an army base by at on

10:54

when without put on base uniform he was in the military

10:57

you know i'm doing my job you know freedom

10:59

a freeze pay we would blurred

11:01

and last lives of servicemen just

11:04

like with labs the police off so

11:06

our respect The out there trying to

11:08

protect P. I respect.

11:11

Police in a military. Without

11:13

most. I have with

11:15

this police. Here and

11:17

with here now. That

11:20

is added to Rob's pile up with ceilings about

11:22

all this. I'm so man on

11:24

Wednesday in Aus like you know gotta

11:26

tell somebody that kept you know I'm going

11:28

back to full of my wife as.

11:30

a man This

11:32

officer or whoever home disease? I

11:36

gotta get to. The

11:38

least, the people in Muskegon, my friends, that.

11:41

The as a clam memorabilia

11:44

in his house yeah confederate flags

11:46

in his house and, What

11:48

is your opinion on him

11:51

doing his job as police officer

11:53

in be is fair? That everybody.

11:57

When he spouse? Robin.

12:00

Found themselves on opposite sides of this question

12:02

about whether to go public in.

12:04

general rob and rena seem like a very close

12:07

affectionate couple They get

12:09

some point I took a spin through Rubs Facebook

12:11

photos and the basically three things

12:14

Robin, Raina taking self is together kissing

12:16

each other and the tieger cracking each other up.

12:19

pictures of raina were robbed bragging

12:21

about how beautiful she is others

12:23

photos of rain is cooking or it's bragging about

12:25

how good it is Rena

12:27

got why Rob wanted to say something about this

12:29

officer but. he worried What

12:32

about backlash? The things get

12:34

nasty.

12:35

What if I had something happen here, do

12:37

call the police that was my biggest

12:40

fear like, and they work with him they've

12:42

worked with him for? The years on. They

12:45

going to be on my side of the. Really going to try to help

12:47

me.

12:49

Robin. Rain we're deciding whether to stick their necks

12:51

out it, was version of what I think

12:53

is a common experience when you aren't way I

12:55

see that as an Asian. American it

12:58

know don't speak for anybody else but

13:00

like things will happen, little

13:02

things will happen big things will happen and

13:04

you'll have to decide what's going on.

13:06

here is it worth the trouble to say

13:09

something is worth the blowback Maybe

13:12

most of all was speaking up do any good

13:15

like. what will it accomplish Rob

13:17

was arguing principal shouldn't,

13:19

we do something about this cop. brainer

13:22

was arguing practicality what does that mean

13:24

for us The go around and around

13:27

eventually Raptors Rayner, he's going to go pray

13:29

about it. You're down into the basement

13:31

to his office. After while

13:34

he came to a thought that made up his mind.

13:36

I was thinking to myself, okay, would

13:39

have my son. Was a

13:41

ran with his girlfriend, and this officer

13:43

pulled him over. Nice

13:46

to mark the car deer some things.

13:49

that weren't you know it in It

13:52

was good, you know, and. Then

13:55

any parsed good habit to anyone.

13:59

Rob just couldn't get. That image. This

14:01

officer. That night. Treating

14:04

young couple. The me he came

14:06

up, me sad I have it on my heart. Like

14:08

I, feel like need to warn people.

14:11

So I said, "You know what said if that's

14:13

what you really feel said than do it"

14:16

The Rob Mathis drafted a Facebook post

14:18

and he showed it to Raina. I

14:20

feel sick to my stomach he wrote knowing,

14:23

that he toured the home of quote. one

14:26

of the most racist people in muskegon hiding

14:28

behind his uniform and possibly harassing

14:30

people of color He

14:33

included a picture of the frame's KKK application

14:35

Hain on the wall. Robin

14:37

Rena talked about it limited decision

14:39

not to name the officer the,

14:42

posted it and then the math this is one

14:52

You begin. By

14:55

the time Robin Rain will grab the comments

14:57

on Rob's posted taken off, exploded

15:00

actually to degree they hadn't expected.

15:03

The were outraged people supporting them hours,

15:05

people criticizing them. Because

15:08

of the societal disaster that his face book

15:11

everyone very quickly transpose their culture

15:13

where baggage onto the situation. Black

15:16

lives, blue lives, people

15:18

no kidding, arguing about calling capper

15:20

neck and the comments. There's

15:22

racism. them and Flake Ella,

15:24

well, what a crybaby as black guy

15:27

probably couldn't afford the house anyways? The

15:29

aggravate Rob, who is like? Our

15:32

house is worth more than that house we were

15:34

going to make money on this movie. The

15:37

give you quick sense of Muskegon Michigan it's

15:40

thirty eight thousand people the,

15:42

City's Blue collar Democratic Rust

15:44

Belt. thirty two percent black

15:47

Surrounded by rural areas that are heavily

15:49

weighed heavily conservative, where

15:51

it's not uncommon to see confederate flags on

15:53

trucks. The black population

15:56

is large enough that it doesn't have political

15:58

control, but it isn't far from. The me.

16:01

That adds tensions politics especially

16:03

in situations about race is.

16:06

divided place in are divided country

16:09

I'm. Rob Post: A bunch of people argue that

16:11

having a casey Catholic Asian in your home

16:14

was about freedom of speech it's,

16:16

free country someone wrote not saying

16:18

I'm okay. With the KKK or racism

16:20

at all but it's his personal choice to be an

16:22

idiot he can change that, someone

16:25

wondered if it was part of part legitimate collection

16:27

of. Historical, memorabilia other

16:30

people, push back memorabilia,

16:32

of what exactly memorabilia

16:34

of. killing people of color people

16:36

debated about what this meant about the way this

16:38

officer must be doing his job Then

16:41

called for Anderson to be fired him now

16:43

there's called for an investigation. We

16:46

were greeted for robbed name, the officer,

16:48

to expose who he was. Rob

16:51

did.

16:52

Right right now it's six o'clock and disturbing discovery

16:54

has a takes item found at the home of

16:56

on the season, police off.

16:58

Then. Her The story was on TV news

17:00

within hours of when Rob posted on Facebook

17:02

and night off as reporters were inundating the

17:04

masses and showing up at Anderson's

17:06

house has gone. viral One reporter who drove

17:08

the Anderson's home caught up with his wife

17:11

Rachel at the screen door or can't

17:13

say anything right now, which besides because

17:15

the was highly subtle I. Think Straight By is not

17:18

trained on a member of the quiet now he's just,

17:20

said be the last public word the Anderson

17:23

said the media about this place for

17:25

this. Story I reached out to Officer Anderson

17:27

anderson his wife many times called

17:30

wrote. eventually i read

17:32

them The as your Anderson declined

17:34

to speak about any of this thing the police

17:36

unit advised him not to talk is.

17:39

why did agree to talk about one aspect of what

17:41

happened I'll get to that in a bit.

17:45

Act three. The people in charge.

17:49

There are two Muskegon city officials who were going

17:51

to have to figure out what to do about the situation

17:54

is, the police chief of course. but

17:56

also this guy named frank peterson muskegon

17:58

city manager He the person

18:00

in charge of running city government and he be

18:02

part of all the big decisions are. Franklin

18:05

energetic forty one dad

18:08

who drinks mountain dew on his way to work instead of coffee

18:11

and, upbeat let's get it done task The

18:13

morning after Rob Math is posted on Facebook,

18:16

he sat down with the police chief in windowless

18:18

conference room at City Hall, just the

18:20

two of them. They're both way. They

18:23

are wrestling with us.

18:24

I remember said, "You know, sitting there at the conference

18:27

table bombs was the chief" think

18:30

it was it was disbelief and

18:32

then immediately and we have more

18:34

angry right angry at Charles once,

18:36

how could he put us in the situation?

18:40

The Charles, he means the officer Charles

18:42

Anderson.

18:44

Peterson admitted at first they

18:46

weren't asking the question of what this officer

18:48

believed. They did on the job.

18:50

It wasn't even about ah we knew

18:53

we thought maybe he was raised as a doctor

18:55

steady of that it was races wasn't even

18:57

in our mind at this point it was like I

18:59

mean for. lack of our terms of like

19:01

how could you be so dumb yeah how

19:04

could how could you be so dumb to put

19:06

yourself in this community in this positions

19:09

Then. You, why is that there and

19:11

why are you inviting people in your house to see

19:13

it of all the things that we have to do

19:15

around here of all the things? That

19:18

all the trouble I could get into with the scissors make

19:20

her don't make the biggest decision

19:22

that we had to make now was something that had

19:24

absolutely at the. End they had absolutely

19:27

nothing to do with us, it was something

19:29

he did off, hours

19:31

at home, what the heck

19:34

you, know just a, bonehead

19:37

decision. The police chief

19:39

the holding that bonehead decision with Peterson

19:42

that morning sitting across that conference

19:44

table with again his mid sixties.

19:46

named jeff louis looks

19:48

like named baseball gm from eighties Lab

19:50

a hair mustache. A

19:52

little context and Louis he was hired

19:55

as director of public safety in Muskegon ten

19:57

years ago he. was brought in as

19:59

a reformer The the community policing

20:01

guy. During his tenure, the see

20:03

if he's added body cams improve,

20:06

the department's dash cams implemented

20:08

tougher psychological screening for hiring

20:11

and significantly increase the number of non white

20:13

officers but still pretty low,

20:15

but tenth of the force. When

20:18

the situation popped up with Officer Anderson's

20:20

house. This endeavor. The

20:23

first thing I did, my.

20:25

Instant move was to remove

20:28

him from Patrol Division right

20:30

then I, didn't come

20:33

the next day we have spent time reviewing this

20:35

instantly but am I what we call paid

20:38

administrative leave so no further

20:40

damage could happen? can't

20:42

come back to department turn your badge and

20:44

gun and so on so forth and then just

20:46

go back your civilian life and the we look

20:48

into it

20:50

Keep Louis pulled in his internal affairs team

20:52

and ordered them to start an investigation. First

20:55

thing you wanted with the basic facts was,

20:58

this Facebook thing true did

21:00

Officer Anderson have the stuff up in his house

21:02

and why. that first

21:04

day the city released a short public statements

21:06

basically the standard the officers on

21:08

leave were investigating more

21:10

later

21:14

Ak for we. know that guy Turns

21:18

out the officer involved here was already famous

21:20

in Muskegon for another controversial

21:22

incident even before the masses

21:24

is posted online. Robin

21:27

Rain a didn't realize that when they heard his name.

21:29

Then. Officer, the center of this also has

21:31

a controversial past ten years ago: "We shot

21:33

and killed man", the man Anderson saw

21:35

it was twenty three year old and Julius

21:38

And. John, since it started when of Muskegon,

21:40

police pulled over car one thirty

21:42

in the morning there. What happened if this

21:44

was in two thousand nine?

21:46

During a traffic stop, young man, Julius

21:48

Johnson, who people called Dude, you dropped

21:51

bag of drugs and ran. Anderson,

21:53

she's Johnson down dark street, tackled

21:56

him fight with him. Henderson

21:58

said Johnson started winning. Then shot

22:01

him in self defense. Johnson

22:03

sister lived on that block she, said

22:05

she saw everything what happened Anderson with lived

22:08

in my brother say "please do not

22:10

suit me," in sat him

22:14

Oh blood just sat of the.

22:16

muskegon county prosecutor's office investigated

22:19

the shooting and her allegations and

22:21

turned up security camera recording that backed

22:24

up anderson's version of the story So

22:27

he was cleared. Prosecutors actually

22:29

brought charges against Johnson's sister for line

22:31

and she went to jail for that. I

22:34

talked to the head of the local NAACP about

22:36

the due to Johnson shooting. The

22:38

the retired Muskegon police officer

22:41

and a big police reform proponent he,

22:43

said anderson chasing johnson

22:45

getting self into that fight that

22:47

was questionable policing Noting

22:49

Johnson was well known would have been easy

22:51

to track him down later and arrest him. Given

22:55

the evidence in terms of police policy,

22:58

he was quote good shooting. The

23:02

or even though Anderson was cleared as

23:04

soon as the math is posted about the KKK

23:06

application in Anderson's house, people

23:08

were calling him "Dude Use Killer" and the comments.

23:11

The was like did you think clicked together like

23:13

they explained each other people? were

23:16

like see The knew it. That

23:18

guy's racist.

23:25

City officials had to confront all of this in

23:27

a new way not even week after the

23:30

math says posted Muskegon,

23:32

was scheduled to have City Commission meeting which

23:35

usually pretty sleeping. but

23:37

not this one

23:39

Good evening everyone I, know that

23:41

we probably do have, have

23:43

number of individuals that are, here are

23:46

due to the concern with one of thugs

23:49

Keegan softly saw, the serbs or

23:51

gleeful to turns talking at all

23:53

of them concerned upset no

23:56

one was there. to support anderson which

23:59

struck me the most

24:00

The able to with that three out of the

24:02

seven people who spoke about Anderson

24:04

said that they had personally had bad

24:06

experiences with him, they themselves.

24:10

Like there was a woman named Ebony Davis

24:12

has black she's. one of muskegon

24:14

fleeting activists round all kinds of issues

24:16

definitely race and policing Ebony

24:19

brought petition signed by thousand

24:21

people calling for Anderson to be fired.

24:24

He also said for and the just the other week

24:26

as she herself had witnessed Anderson

24:28

doing something messed up.

24:30

That's the Anderson has a history

24:33

of harassing minorities. The

24:35

and. Very often

24:38

seen it with my own eyes. The

24:40

or even threatened, to report

24:43

him and he laughed at me and said that's it's gonna

24:45

happen

24:46

Ebony. Told me later that seen another

24:49

woman had actually gone to City Hall and

24:51

they were in the middle of filing an official complaint

24:54

when, they saw the math is his. Post about the KKK

24:56

application, they were both, like

24:59

wouldn't be crazy if this was the same officer

25:01

we're complaining about for seem so nuts

25:03

they, both laughed after.

25:06

Ebony, a gentle looking dying glasses

25:08

named law curtsy came to the, like Mick

25:10

cursing Now City,

25:13

officials new law clerks he's

25:15

retired city employee ran the city's,

25:17

youth. wreck programs for years Little

25:20

said he'd, cross paths with Anderson three

25:22

times once and rescinded

25:24

come to his house over something minor, construction

25:27

permits and was weirdly aggressive.

25:30

He said his, neighbor had and bad incident with him to.

25:33

and then there was this thing at city hall

25:36

as city employee

25:41

We face. Having

25:44

to deal with off Sanderson.

25:47

Driving his truck on.

25:51

to city property With

25:55

is. dixie flag The

25:58

on. But

26:00

for many, of the black

26:02

employees of the city at the time,

26:05

it was very disturbing for us, season

26:09

and during Molitor explained to me

26:11

this thing happened around the time Bras Obama.

26:13

was elected anderson started

26:15

driving around with anderson big confederate flag

26:18

all the way across the back window of his pickup truck

26:21

Parking at like that at City Hall Law,

26:24

and other black employees complained about it and

26:26

stopped The last point was

26:29

none of this with news the signs

26:31

were there sitting out in the open

26:33

like. maybe it shouldn't have required the masses

26:35

finding masses kkk application on his wall

26:38

for someone to scrutinize is police officer

26:42

In the room, listening to all this testimony

26:44

for the police chief Jeff Louis and

26:46

Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson.

26:49

Peterson was actually up on the day as he.

26:52

told me he and chief loose were texting back and forth

26:54

will people spoke They were alarmed

26:56

by what they were hearing.

26:58

"A lot of people were saying, wait a minute,

27:00

I know that person he dealt, he treated

27:02

me this way, he called me this, that

27:05

that's when it became kind of real to me was holy

27:07

smokes. This officer

27:10

over the last fifteen years.

27:13

He could have interacted with. Five

27:16

thousand people. Five thousand

27:18

different interactions and, Where

27:21

three of them dad and we just happened to hear about

27:23

I'm finally or, worse thirty

27:25

percent level you know bad. he

27:28

ate it really helped you

27:30

see the The

27:32

scope array of how

27:35

difficult it was going to be to

27:37

validate or invalidate the concerns

27:39

that people have that maybe they

27:41

weren't. High enough. The

27:44

high enough level of mistreatment toward that resulted

27:46

in are, you know, in a formal complaint, both,

27:49

but they were obviously happening in all or

27:51

appeared that they are obviously happening.

27:54

So the question now facing the city

27:56

was the question that was kind of baked into this from

27:58

the start. That Robin Rain,

28:00

a solid stuff and officer Anderson's house.

28:03

The KKK application on Charles

28:06

Anderson ball correspond to twenty

28:08

one years of mistreating people on the

28:10

job. That brings us to

28:12

act five of our story. Officer

28:14

Anderson. The job.

28:22

I heard a pile of stories of the way Officer Anderson

28:24

did his job. Then I'm gonna tell you one

28:26

of them because it's great example

28:29

of how he could be. The thing

28:31

to have been happy to man in homage, stalling

28:33

to everyone calls Duke. Then

28:36

they do seem real estate, family

28:38

guy married with four kids that he dotes on.

28:41

Duke and his family are black. You

28:43

told me he remembers the day he saw the story about

28:45

the math, this is how they saw KKK

28:47

application in Muskegon Police Officer's

28:49

house. The do cause

28:51

he's reading that.

28:53

In seeing that you know there was a officer

28:55

the Adam KKK art.

28:58

of our food warehouse hadn't got

29:00

to his name to hate of the day mrs may run away

29:02

and gotten and bar The remainder.

29:05

The neighbors came in. I didn't

29:07

even read his name a news.

29:10

Someday. My spirits it is and isn't

29:13

it, was Anderson, anderson some

29:15

it was like there was a joy at the same

29:17

town knows the sadness classical hi

29:19

there was this. Guy continue to do this before

29:22

somebody had to have this can evidence

29:24

to wear and I believe due to run in with Officer Anderson

29:27

happened in Summer Twenty, Ten It's.

29:29

Time dukas twenty four he

29:31

says life, was good he'd recently

29:33

become the pastor a small tshirts zine

29:36

blue lake baptist she's, really excited

29:38

about and he was working in. and

29:40

office furniture company. on the assembly line

29:43

is vices loved him near on the verge of promoting

29:45

him And then on July

29:47

eighth twenty ten deuce mom

29:49

or lean had, her fifty ninth birthday

29:52

party in our backyard. he was family

29:54

and friends kind of thing for brothers and sisters

29:56

nieces and nephews little boombox

29:59

playing oh geez Eddie Pendergraph, little

30:01

bit dancing. Irwin

30:03

was devout Christian group in the Baptist

30:05

Church didn't drink and smoke

30:08

whose team from, midnight

30:10

everything it wound down maybe fifteen

30:13

twenty people last mostly Dukes

30:15

aunts and uncles and Duke was on the front

30:17

steps talking to relative. when

30:19

an officer this was officer anderson

30:22

pulled up in police cruiser alone

30:25

The started approaching the house and our members, you

30:27

do, Tizzy started towards the back yard to get his

30:29

parents or but Anderson current

30:31

stepped in front of him on the sidewalk next to

30:33

the house. Gap is

30:35

everything, okay?

30:37

Though when I come up to amass him, he knows

30:39

everything okay, the first a he says

30:41

is, are you the owners of this

30:43

property? The and I said I'm

30:45

with you tell me what's going on his like, are you on

30:48

said no, the keeps him going on? That's

30:50

what out a man in that way they do you want to go

30:52

down for was by that. The an odd

30:54

thing to say. Do you want to go down

30:56

for what's about to happen? The startled

30:59

do. Nah, I'm scared I'm like what

31:01

was about to happen, I didn't even know

31:03

dunno no problems, so let me go

31:05

get somebody that's older that can deal with this, don't

31:08

even know what's going on because he won't say what's

31:10

going on.

31:11

Due to the walk down the little sidewalk next

31:13

to the house of towards the back yard to get his

31:15

parents would, he gets the

31:17

yard and goes to close the gate behind

31:20

him. anderson's right there

31:22

anderson's kicks there gate back openly hard

31:24

polls like the with a bang

31:26

This is the game right so

31:28

we will bow right here this is where we work

31:30

our way here and his mom passed away

31:32

and twenty fourteen now he owns

31:34

the house so. he took me outside

31:36

to show me show things happen things the backyard that night

31:39

Oakland over and over here something we'll send our his

31:42

wife with the in in,. iraq

31:44

is going to have he would i is already talking

31:47

You can point to where everything was at that moment,

31:49

it was like the lights strung around the fence, the

31:51

picnic tables for the food was

31:54

for the cake was.

31:55

Yeah, some people sin of it's okay you have made like

31:58

attitude he was right, massacres is good. The

32:00

late. Mary, a lot of movie there's

32:02

no more ah, but that's all

32:04

he was, I don't mean this in a funny

32:06

way, but it sounds like. People.

32:09

Sitting thesis us

32:11

as we have really try to say that, but I didn't want

32:13

to have really wow they is over with

32:15

the is a risky but get ready to. Go

32:18

Kazumi fry had another thirty minutes

32:20

left for them, fit your isis to see

32:22

you later with by the be over with.

32:24

In Anderson's police report, he

32:26

says, "Do slam the gate on him to

32:28

push him back, keep him out, he

32:30

did that twice" Anderson

32:32

would later have do charged with assault for this.

32:36

You can, he just wouldn't have done that to a police officer,

32:39

he was worried he scared he

32:41

didn't want trouble. After

32:43

that Duke and Anderson stories mostly

32:45

line up Anderson, writes in his

32:47

report that he shoved his way into

32:49

the yard yelled the duke was under

32:51

arrest and going to jail You

32:54

could his aunts and uncles were like whoa what

32:56

is going on they, put their arms

32:58

in front of do to protect him from Anderson.

33:01

anderson now they just have buses exchanges

33:04

from him you're going to jail

33:06

that about to die and they're yelling what'd

33:08

you do he's not want to jail he didn't

33:10

do anything In his report,

33:13

Anderson describes the crowd as "I read

33:15

these know to do", since you were just confused

33:17

and upset.

33:18

They will not cause any harm to him and

33:20

or a one cause any harm to him when

33:22

do thing him I know by is crazy enough

33:24

to her head opposing my family, not crazy,

33:27

know a song for the hands on police officer

33:29

using my debts and ns when

33:32

the maid came out. Then. The

33:34

spray.

33:36

It was pepper spray made comes out, Duke remembers

33:38

a few of his aunts, women in their late fifties,

33:40

got the worst of it, raised the peppers, and

33:42

then it was chaos.

33:44

You have people, you know,

33:46

falling on Coruscant, trying to run to

33:48

get, you know, you can't see if you rub your eyes.

33:50

Are you feeling now,

33:56

but it when that happens too

33:58

often. I don't how mean, take them. The

34:00

gave me a was like every officer from the preset,

34:03

the handcuff duke then took him away. You

34:06

didn't have record, didn't understand what

34:08

he done. The book him

34:10

for non aggravated assault.

34:12

Reminded him: "I duke may go to jail until

34:15

the charges were finally thrown out. The

34:18

all kind of wrecked his life for a while to.

34:20

step down his pastor that church Convinced

34:23

the company he was working for didn't renew his contract

34:26

because the size mugshot in the paper. Then

34:29

you make sense of what happened that night at Duke's

34:32

Mom's. Consider what Officer Anderson

34:34

was reportedly, therefore. It

34:36

was it in police records as noise complaint.

34:40

Consider how differently this could have gone. If,

34:42

for example, Anderson had told Duke

34:45

in front of house, there's been noise complaint,

34:47

I'm just here to ask you guys to keep it down. Or

34:51

when Duke that he was going to get his parents if?

34:53

anderson had waited and then told his mom

34:56

Mom or lean she knew all her neighbors

34:58

well due. to confidence you would have

35:00

told people keep down and they are just wrap

35:03

things up When Anderson

35:05

entered the yard and people wanted to know why he was

35:07

there if he'd said this is not big

35:09

deal, I'm just tear over noise complaint.

35:12

Rather than shouting, Duke was under arrest and going

35:14

to jail. But

35:16

instead Officer Anderson to this

35:18

tiny complaint and at

35:20

so many points he. escalated

35:22

it And he ended up pepper spraying

35:25

fifty nine year old woman's family birthday party.

35:33

Something else they want to point out about the story,

35:36

it might be the best example out there of how

35:38

Muskegon City government might have taken a hard

35:40

look at Anderson years before the KKK

35:43

application was spotted in this house. Because

35:46

Duke and for of his relatives filed

35:48

formal complaints they, tried

35:50

to raise the alarm about the kind of officer anderson

35:52

was The department ended

35:54

up dismissing their complaints and clearing

35:56

Anderson have any wrong doing it.

35:58

did that based on the word of The officers had shown

36:01

up his backup and who hadn't seen lot

36:03

of what happened do, says no

36:05

one from the police department ever reached out to him

36:07

or his family. no one ever called

36:09

to ask questions to told me nobody

36:12

never Due to

36:14

the felt stymied and powerless

36:17

and, in his face he thought. god

36:19

i'm going to leave it in your hands and something

36:21

is gonna come to light and they're going to see

36:23

who he really is That

36:25

was literally his prayer he said people.

36:28

don't believe me so that's going to be my

36:30

justice And doing

36:32

the math this is came forward about the stuff

36:34

in Anderson's house, do thought

36:37

this is the day he was hoping for. I

36:39

didn't want anything bad to happen to him he told

36:41

me I, wanted the late to be shown.

36:44

and people would see who he was

36:55

The government coming, up,

36:58

officer and to send explains about the kkk application

37:00

to other, policemen and

37:03

at against Dad speaking outwards up with. the mattresses

37:06

that's in a minute This kind of public radio. When

37:09

problem continues.

37:13

The smack my from Iraq last this program,

37:15

a couple walks into house. The

37:17

way the fall out in one town when couple

37:20

the mattresses. That confederate

37:22

flags in friend kick cab location

37:24

in policeman's home. I

37:27

didn't say up for your for the so much happens

37:29

in the stories of there's so many people

37:31

and moments or documenting,

37:33

and also if you have very weird

37:35

pot twist to come that we're going to tell this

37:37

over two episodes starting today

37:40

and finishing next. Someone

37:43

result of the mattresses original Facebook

37:45

posts a wedding people about the stuff an officer

37:47

anderson's house so many were glad

37:49

to say. The be the first time in this

37:52

veteran cop's two decades history on the force.

37:54

The Bridges we're now looking seriously into

37:57

whether he was mistreating black people on the job.

38:00

So, and as result for them, that is something.

38:03

There were other results to. Which

38:05

brings us to act six of our story. Things

38:08

get ugly. Again, you're think

38:10

of it.

38:11

These week, while the city's investigation

38:13

unfolded, were bad ones for Robin

38:15

Rain and Mathis. The backlash

38:18

that Rain had worried about when they posted about Officer

38:20

Anderson, it came and it

38:22

was awful. The Keegan

38:24

at thirty eight thousand people is just large

38:26

enough to have city problems but also

38:29

small enough that people are in your business and

38:31

recognize you at the grocery store it's.

38:33

a hard place to hide Especially

38:36

if your faces all over the biggest news story in

38:38

town. Robin. Raina

38:40

say as soon as they went public the threat

38:42

started some, of it was trolling

38:44

and stuff they could shrug off people

38:47

they didn't know calling them on Facebook Messenger.

38:49

Brando's in other parts of the country making threats

38:52

but some was ugly racist.

38:55

genuine the scary

38:57

While there was one posts where someone

38:59

took a picture of my daughter the one that you

39:01

to see my daughter Aasia Ah.

39:03

she was twelve at the time she's paying we have yorkie

39:06

and she's playing in the front yard with yard yorkie and

39:08

someone posted picture of her playing

39:10

with the dog saying we know where

39:12

you live I posted

39:15

the pitcher. One thing to know.

39:17

The mantis his house sits in the woods

39:19

more than five hundred feet off the road to.

39:22

get that picture whoever this person was

39:25

had driven all the way back and taking and photo

39:27

without robber rain and noticing they were there

39:30

After that center daughter to stay

39:32

with and.

39:37

Soon things started happening

39:39

in person young. white men in a

39:41

car at car stoplight recognizing

39:43

robin raina shouting much of threats

39:46

and then speeding off The

39:48

couple in parking lot came up to Reno for

39:50

youngest daughter and her six year old grandson

39:53

and started yelling using the N word.

39:56

One morning, when rain left for work at three: thirty

39:58

a.m., a car was waiting. For her

40:00

and it followed her the whole way there he,

40:03

got on the phone with Rob was telling her don't

40:05

pullover just keep going. car

40:08

followed her the next day too The

40:11

innocent, several of the math as kid started

40:13

having upsetting experiences to.

40:16

The older daughter was working at restaurant

40:18

and she overheard group of people saying racist

40:20

things about Robin Raina she.

40:22

got into an argument with them The restaurant

40:25

fired or? Insert

40:27

most upsetting know was how everything changed

40:29

for her youngest daughter, Asia. The

40:32

was in middle school at the time.

40:34

The had friends that told her they couldn't

40:36

talk to her anymore ah.

40:40

She came home one day at said she was

40:42

sitting with her friend. At school

40:44

at a lunch table and little girl's mother called

40:46

her and. she told

40:48

her she was sitting with asia and she said whoa

40:50

tread lightly you know don't trust her

40:53

And then them she

40:55

said that to her daughter and my daughter could hear

40:57

yes, she was on the phone with their mom during lunch and

41:00

my daughter could hear. The the little.

41:02

F my that she said, "What are you get my mom wants

41:04

to know?" He had one mixed.

41:07

And she got Aussies, makes or whatever, and that's when she

41:09

told. The tread lightly don't trust or and

41:11

then the next day the girl that talk to my daughter

41:13

to mourn she hasn't talked for sense.

41:20

So she's kind of went.

41:22

into the states or see that one

41:24

ago school anymore

41:27

She does, she wanted some old and did not

41:29

me around here and. That

41:32

that was the most hurtful to me because my

41:34

other kids are grown they can deal with stuff like that

41:37

sees, you know she's a very

41:39

lovable little girl she loves. everybody

41:43

on And

41:45

he said it felt like she lost everything

41:47

and that for me because it felt like it was because

41:49

bucks. But it

41:51

was really because him.

41:57

The impact of all this on the math this is.

42:00

If they, pulled their house at the

42:02

market because they didn't want any cars they

42:04

didn't know pulling up. they

42:06

were stressed Robin Rain, he told me

42:08

they were on edge, been arguing, including

42:10

about whether all this had been worth it. It

42:13

also another source of stress particular

42:16

we for Rob. And I went to tell

42:18

you this part of the story because of how important

42:20

was to him. If how important

42:23

it was to how he saw all of this. The

42:26

night first interviewed Robin Raina, this came

42:28

up. After we'd spent several

42:30

hours talking, was getting ready to

42:32

leave, and he was showing me some the threats

42:34

he'd gotten on Facebook. Then

42:37

he referred a couple times to when

42:39

I was attacked.

42:40

They'd not understand we're talking about,

42:42

so I asked him.

42:44

Then you pull down his shirt collar, and he

42:46

showed me an enormous scar. That

42:49

goes to cause it's on the radio,

42:51

A goes from like that, the right

42:53

ear down to mind. That

42:56

is Apple. Babe

42:58

Ruth. Like

43:02

who's lot from there, the scar continue

43:04

down onto rubs chastity. It

43:06

turned out was that decades before all

43:09

this when Rob was nineteen, a

43:11

young soldier in the army. The

43:13

went out to club with few other shoulders.

43:16

The parking lot grabbed, has the guy

43:18

sitting on car as many said, "What's up?"

43:21

He said you was up the lines

43:23

like you.

43:25

And were you with, this

43:27

guy jumped Rob and he cut his

43:29

throat. we slice both his

43:31

carotid artery in his juggler fame

43:33

and own view and robbed at rest of the hospital

43:36

When he woke up yet, burn than his chest from

43:38

different relations, a market as throwing,

43:41

you know, and couldn't speak, conceal

43:43

his legs could move on. Paralyzed

43:47

who'd years it took years rehab before

43:49

he could regain his ability to speak to.

43:51

walk into use his hands

43:54

McGinty was like five year in

43:56

flock of walk with I came.

44:00

can't put pick up opinion would does here

44:03

you, know got a look at what

44:05

I'm doing with this hand tell

44:07

it would do. changes do so

44:10

because you don't have the sensation in your fingers

44:12

right

44:14

Linda struggle I'm alive is not a day

44:16

they go back that I don't think about

44:18

it and. you know

44:23

The make about the situation.

44:25

The least once a day.

44:29

That this man stole

44:32

my, life forms because,

44:35

out there he was races Our

44:38

our to achieve more military go

44:40

and then Sergeant Major Mattis

44:42

Thousand would I want to be but.

44:46

Stole if one.

44:48

You know in. a

44:51

change me as person

44:54

Then. Way I'm a little more cautious if

44:56

my in our pay attention to details

44:59

so would, their situation

45:01

we went to that, look

45:04

for home to buy him seen.

45:06

It'a application on

45:08

application wall it was

45:10

the when I couldn't stay on as house no

45:12

more had to, get out these

45:15

two experiences sat on top of which. Are there

45:17

for rounds on, there blurred together good

45:20

what he'd seen that day in Anderson's house

45:22

he placed him back in that feeling, from their parking

45:25

lot when he? Was attacked out. of nowhere

45:27

and nearly killed i've had as

45:29

ceiling Moreover,

45:33

of forty years. The

45:35

feeling of okay, you know it.

45:39

Something wrong, but on was keep

45:41

going. You know?

45:44

Had to borrow them and good time we

45:46

born a guy jumped off the car, he

45:49

said, "You was so"

45:51

You know, in when you start her

45:53

own slurs, I mean, like, a we're from good

45:56

to bad like did so want

45:58

to this house on my face. Then. My

46:01

house is there no other but every

46:03

step away and let God

46:06

now it just change so,

46:10

the sooner you know that racism

46:12

was from new the time he opened his mouth

46:15

and it was from the time we want to the

46:17

door at his house. every

46:19

step out to dinner house made

46:21

me feel more did is racism

46:24

racing Not

46:27

in talk about nothing.

46:35

Those of these experiences for decades

46:37

apart came. with the question

46:39

what would the institutions in charge do about

46:41

it In Kentucky, were

46:44

Rob was stabbed with the government did

46:46

ultimately didn't amount to much. Police

46:49

arrested Rom's attacker that night and recovered

46:51

the switchblade used it. a parking

46:53

lots of the witnesses The man

46:56

seems to have served only two months for

46:58

assault under extreme emotional disturbance

47:01

before he was released on probation. Flash

47:04

forward forty years to Muskegon,

47:06

Michigan. How will the city

47:08

handle police officer accused of mistreating

47:11

people of color? And who discovered

47:13

have races memorabilia in his house? We

47:16

get to that in or next act. Seven.

47:19

The investigation. One

47:22

time in this whole process that we get chance

47:24

to hear Charles Anderson's side of this

47:26

is when the police department's investigators brought

47:29

him in for questioning. They don't

47:31

have audio this, I just have a transcript.

47:34

It indicates Anderson sat down with high

47:36

ranking officer working on the investigation,

47:38

Captain Sean Bride. Six days

47:40

after the math is his Facebook post. Anderson

47:43

brought police union representative to the meeting.

47:47

Right in early questioning that in bride

47:49

asks Anderson to explain the KKK

47:51

application. The Anderson says

47:53

quote. What it is is,

47:55

this is an antique room. Nobody,

47:58

nobody ever used it. That item was

48:00

on the wall because I didn't take the items

48:02

off, the Wall says, because thought

48:04

it would look better for selling. And didn't

48:06

even realize it was on there, mean

48:09

yes, it's mine, yes collect,

48:11

but didn't know that specific item was on

48:13

the wall. didn't really pay attention.

48:16

Innocent, then told investigators he bought the

48:18

application at a flea market for twenty or thirty

48:21

dollars. The investigator

48:23

ask why. what possessed

48:25

you to buy something that looks like that and contains

48:28

that information The anything

48:30

replies. That's part of history

48:32

and I love history and have thousands

48:34

of antiques, and could show them to you,

48:37

have thousands. Next,

48:39

the talk about the Confederate flags. The

48:42

Anderson Health Investigator, if

48:44

you go downstairs, have a very, very

48:46

large collection of dukes of hazzard You.

48:49

Probably know, but the Dukes of hazzard was TV

48:51

show in the eighties, which featured muscle

48:53

car name, the General Leak Chat, confederate

48:55

flag pin it on the top. And,

48:58

Anderson's love of the show does seem real,

49:01

Muskegon City manager told me at one point

49:03

Anderson was bringing his lunch to work in Dukes

49:05

of hazzard , anyway,

49:08

Anderson goes on here but the TV series

49:11

How he's gone a few times to fan of and called

49:13

Dukes Fest, down south quote:

49:16

"I have an. Original script signed by Cougar

49:18

My wife, bought it for me actually

49:21

under car that, was painted like the generally

49:23

I have all their videos, and watch them all. The

49:25

time videos love the Dukes of hazzard

49:28

and that's the reason for the Confederate flags

49:31

they mean nothing other, than it was part of that collection

49:34

have been Bride The. Investigator seems

49:36

to try, to, help Anderson with this point he's building

49:39

bride says so would be

49:41

safe and summarizing as some

49:43

folks are, big fans of college. Football

49:46

people are, fans of. ceiling you're

49:48

a fan of the dukes of hazzard yes

49:50

as anderson village

49:58

And with you. The

50:00

new Anderson flatly denies being

50:02

a member of the KKK and

50:04

says he didn't leave these items up to discourage

50:06

people of color from buying the house investigator,

50:09

asked. so black you

50:11

from ethiopia would be welcome if they met your

50:13

asking price Yes, they would",

50:16

says Anderson. Then

50:18

there's string of moments like that one where

50:20

it feel like the investigator Captain Bride

50:23

is trying to throw Anderson life preservers.

50:26

Like long stretch where they talked through things

50:28

that Anderson was commended for. Including

50:30

how he stop two men in separate incidents

50:33

from killing themselves. Investigators

50:35

ask about each man's race. One

50:38

with way. The other who Anderson

50:40

pulled off bridge was black. Later,

50:43

when Anderson mentions doing community work

50:45

with someone whose name is blacked out. The

50:47

detective response. Interesting.

50:50

My understanding that one of the tenants of the knights

50:52

of the Ku Klux Klan is it their strongly

50:55

against anyone who is. I

50:57

guess the most correct way to say it these days

50:59

is the LBG T que community.

51:03

Would it be fair to say that so, and so, is a strong proponent

51:05

of that community and maybe even member?

51:08

Yes, as Anderson. You can hear

51:10

him an associate or friend. The

51:13

consider my friends as Anderson. Confirming

51:15

yes, he has gay or trans friend. "I

51:19

have to talk to Captain Bride about this and

51:21

other parts of the investigation, but

51:23

the Muskegon Police Department said no" There

51:26

are lots of things Anderson is not questioned

51:28

about. Nothing about the complaints do

51:30

selling in his family filed against him

51:32

after they were pepper sprayed nothing.

51:34

about any other specific incidents on the job

51:37

or about how he treated black people in general

51:40

Did in few broad and very generic questions?

51:43

The be there were allowed implicit bias to affect

51:45

his work know Anderson says

51:48

as, he treated people unfairly now,

51:51

has he had diversity training yes he. has

51:55

just to be clear investigators don't

51:57

get into the details of anderson's behavior

51:59

on the job Because she flew in

52:01

an order them to his, instructions

52:03

were to figure out whether this thing on line was accurate,

52:06

it Anderson have the flags and the KKK

52:08

application up in his house and if so.

52:11

why so that's what they

52:13

can find themselves to

52:20

Most telling and relevant our story

52:23

is the way they wrap up in.

52:25

the final pages of the transcript captain

52:27

bride literally invites anderson

52:30

to explain away the things the had up in his

52:32

house Well. For

52:34

me, check if you would. And

52:37

the pieces have come together for you to do this.

52:40

What could you do to explain this away? Then

52:42

allow the members of our community to accept

52:44

you and place their trust in you to be

52:46

fair and impartial and policing them. Here's

52:50

how he Anderson respondents I

52:52

would explain as exactly what already

52:54

explained to you why it was there

52:57

and that it meant no intent. And

53:00

apologize if it did. Why'a

53:02

created this mess? mean,

53:05

didn't even know it was up there. And

53:07

with a mistake. They meant

53:09

no harm against anyone can,

53:11

have been an officer for twenty two years and

53:13

this the first time something like this ever

53:15

came out you know like this,

53:18

and I think I've done, well a

53:20

trees. everyone fairly i've

53:23

never had problem before like this

53:30

It just didn't make sense I.

53:32

mean

53:33

One. Person who did not think Officer Anderson

53:36

was being a good job explaining this away

53:39

with the person who ordered the investigation

53:41

Muskegon Police Chief Jeff Louis U.S.,

53:44

loose told me. At first sure

53:46

the Dukes of hazzard American History Collector

53:48

thing seemed possible to him, so

53:51

he says the as the Anderson to produce evidence

53:53

of that pictures of the collection.

53:55

receipts and, stuff but even

53:57

with anderson's job on the line louis

54:00

The never did. Nothing was

54:02

produced. I like

54:04

calling him. A

54:06

liar, but I'm saying. It

54:09

didn't hold any water. bucket

54:12

in hot water. Lewis

54:14

is stephanie Anderson's house seems pretty

54:16

damning from for like a sound

54:18

really in the governor's.

54:20

For instance and. so you can't my office

54:23

i have a just one portrait one the wall

54:25

behind me governor george wallace

54:28

Wallace famous Southern segregationist.

54:30

What I tell you I've just indicators but,

54:33

to see that doesn't that governor tell you something

54:36

Why is that governor in my office

54:39

behind me and my one?

54:45

Then.

54:47

After reading Anderson's transcript the

54:49

talking to the cheese I, still

54:51

didn't really understand what these items meant

54:54

to him, was the KKK application

54:56

some random thing he picked up like you, said

54:59

or with something important. to him rachel

55:02

anderson officer anderson's wife

55:04

agreed to tell me more If I kept

55:06

all my questions to the subject of they're collecting

55:09

and how the KKK application fit

55:11

into it. Our. Hi,

55:14

I'm Rachel. Yeah. Rachel,

55:16

to me she and her husband have collected all kinds

55:18

of stuff for decades, they're

55:21

not history buff collecting artifacts

55:23

from the Civil War World War Two

55:25

or anything. Like that site any their people who

55:27

stop at Flea Markets and Antique Shop

55:30

and buy stuff randomly this

55:32

that's all that's, cool if

55:34

we think it's cool are different in.

55:37

Rachel texted me photos of their house of

55:39

a room they call the radio room with

55:42

thirty, some vintage radios and shell zone

55:44

round of room they called the toy

55:46

room. The has old toys doesn't

55:48

double lunch boxes and thermoses them

55:50

from TV shows like Charlie's Angels.

55:53

knight rider vintage appliances

55:55

parts and tools vintage the kitchen big show

55:57

full old piggy banks to get back to

56:00

The officer Anderson has collection of old hair

56:02

dryers her off.

56:04

I don't know why he like stared at years on.

56:07

he's got some old ones you know like him how

56:09

ones that have Like

56:11

a wooden handle on there. Not

56:14

really much tournament he.

56:16

likes the old colorful ones that they

56:18

still like and around box and new open

56:21

what lessons are like from the fifties

56:23

As for the confederate flag on the KKK

56:25

application and maker has been

56:27

told investigators Rachel, said the

56:29

confederate flags were part of part big dukes of

56:31

hazzard collection Then.

56:35

I would like to make one thing clear, don't know us

56:38

this. This is our stopping,

56:40

my boundary. The not

56:42

but. I'm the one that

56:44

found that. The

56:46

civic item that. Everyone

56:49

made a big deal about the sand.

56:52

Oh, the t't t application. application

56:54

Yeah, I was like, "Hey, this is so cool,

56:57

is it look awesome in the antique room just

56:59

the way it looked?"

57:02

Hi.

57:03

Can I ask like what your feelings

57:06

were about that particular?

57:09

The artifact.

57:12

I didn't really have any, just thought it was kind

57:14

of it was different, was cool.

57:16

No, and is different.

57:19

If we always put on the lawn, tennis

57:21

forgot about.

57:24

One people had a reaction to that

57:26

because of what it's associated

57:29

with historically did, did

57:31

that change to the way the that you felt

57:33

about it?

57:36

On.

57:37

Not a didn't really things were salt

57:40

about it, I just thought it was kind of ios. You

57:42

know, old, it was part of history.

57:47

But what about the fact that people were like, that's

57:49

a scary thing for me to see? Because

57:52

it who I am.

58:05

I'm not really sure how to ensure that I mean up. don't

58:10

understand people have. The ruins but.

58:14

Now I.

58:17

That describes who we are.

58:22

The way things are now on in. Everybody

58:24

is offended. We're over something.

58:28

And. Who knows what that might be? Then.

58:32

I ended up feeling like Officer Anderson's account

58:34

to investigators had mostly been true.

58:37

Henry to didn't see my card carrying members

58:39

of a white supremacist organization I,

58:42

can see them buying that kkk application

58:44

without ever expecting to offend anyone.

58:47

but it said lot that even two years later

58:50

she didn't seem to understand the fearing concerned

58:53

people had about the things he thought was cool

58:56

Then he wasn't really interested in understanding

58:58

that.

59:05

So the city's investigation is going the

59:08

masses are being harassed and,

59:10

people are waiting, the waning find

59:12

out what the city's gonna do and say about all, this

59:16

and this did not play out the were, expected.

59:18

to next time

59:21

with the city decides to do about charles

59:23

and

59:37

Then. Woman is one of the editors of our

59:39

program One, of things

59:42

that he did not expect that we get into next time

59:44

and the tour of Officer and since House.

59:47

, Marina had thought this was some random police

59:49

officer and it was shocked to learn that

59:51

they've crossed paths with them years. before

59:54

an incident that they did remember very vividly

59:57

On my way to just be cool, recall vehicle and.

1:00:00

The visa you are resisting, you resisting,

1:00:02

and he swung around to on a hooded

1:00:05

car.

1:00:06

Was word Arizona sooner in front

1:00:08

of immunity is a? section

1:00:11

on a show

1:00:43

Well hello my name of the,.

1:00:47

to the should he get her to for today's program

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stephen henderson rob world aboard digital

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music for today show but it can wait the

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other people have put together tastes program on

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tastes baker sean call michael comment hey of even to kornfeld

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damien grave find damien job he waltzed of nelson cop

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and raimondo will pay show robin semyon of us

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a chef are start chesky louis sullivan crystal

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so taught him at tyranny and dianthus are managing

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editor sara or i'm in our senior editors david

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cast about them or executive editors manual very

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was like one

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Flag here one flag there and and,

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