Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis said in a statement Wednesday that a recruit with a tattoo associated with an extremist, anti-government militia movement was subject to an extensive background check and that the tattoo was “intended to symbolize resistance to tyranny, not affiliation with any extremist ideology or unlawful organization.”
Facebook users noticed the tattoo soon after the police department posted a photo of five recruits taking their oaths before beginning their academy program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Recruit Ross Walden is wearing short sleeves in the photo, allowing the Roman numeral III surrounded by 13 stars to be seen on his bicep.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) calls the Three Percenters a “vanguard extremist movement” and says on its website that the Three Percent movement was started in 2008, shortly after the election of Barack Obama.
SPLC Research Analyst Calum Farley told Madison365 in a phone interview that the Three Percenters aren’t an organization, but rather a movement united by an extreme anti-government ideology.
“Having a tattoo like that does not necessarily mean that they’re a member of some certain militia group, but more so, it means that … they’re using symbols that reflect a worldview that is steeped in conspiracist theories about the US government, and that the government is actively trying to take away their constitutional rights,” Farley said.
“Individuals affiliated with this movement have no problem committing violence,” Farley said, nothing that people associated with the Three Percent movement were plotting to bomb a Somali refugee settlement in 2017 and to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Wittmer in 2020.
He said the Three Percent movement has lost some momentum due to legal repercussions from involvement in the Januaruy 6 attack on the United States Capitol.
In a statement, Davis said, “Nothing in (Walden’s) background investigation raised concerns regarding bias, extremism, or conduct inconsistent with the values of the Green Bay Police Department.” He noted that Walden is a Marine Corps veteran who received tattoos overseas. He said that Walden underwent a psychological evaluation and that the department spoke with 22 references, none of whom raised any concerns about bias.
In an interview with Madison365 later Wednesday, Davis said he had to strike a balance, treating job applicants fairly while ensuring the public trusts the police.
“The way the police officer shows up and the interaction and the way they treat people really has a much bigger impact in any interaction with the public than a tattoo,” he said. “We set pretty high expectations for how we interact with the public, and we place a high value in the Green Bay Police Department on treating the public with respect.”
“Our department does not make assumptions about applicants, officers, or members of our community,” Davis said in the statement. “We are committed to an objective, unbiased hiring process and to selecting the most qualified candidates who demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to fair and ethical policing. We take public concerns seriously and remain transparent about our processes. Our standards for hiring are high, and we have strong policies that clearly prohibit any form of biased policing. Every officer is held accountable to the values and expectations of this profession and the community we serve.”
Ultimately he said he didn’t mind that the photo showing the tattoo was posted and that people asked questions.
“We need to be able to have these conversations, and the public needs to be able to raise these questions when they come up,” he said. “Our public has to be able to have confidence, in a democracy, that they can trust the police, or the policing just doesn’t work right. I welcome the questions that people have, because I want people to take us to task if they see something that they’re concerned about.”
This story has been updated to include statements from Callum Farley and additional statements from GBPD Chief Davis.
