Reservist claims officer hung a noose

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10198403

Published Saturday | December 1, 2007
Reservist claims officer hung a noose
BY TIM ELFRINK AND LESLIE REED
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS

The U.S. Army Reserve is investigating allegations that an officer hung a noose in the Council Bluffs office of an African-American sergeant and Iraq war veteran, Army officials said Friday.

Sgt. Tiffany Robinson filed a complaint alleging that her commander, 1st Lt. Harold Hessig, a part-time reservist who also works as a Bellevue police detective, left a rope tied in a noose hanging from a pipe in their office in October.

Robinson, who served in Iraq with the Reserve's 784th Transportation Company, requested transfer to a new assignment, saying she felt that her civil rights had been violated.

"I felt it very offensive and psychologically damaging. I don't feel safe," she wrote in the complaint sent to Army Reserve officials.

Except to confirm that an investigation is in progress, Reserve officials declined to comment Friday.

"There is a formal investigation into these allegations that is currently under way. Until that is complete, we can't comment on the case," said Lt. Col. Kathy Klein, spokeswoman for the Reserve's 89th Regional Readiness Command in Wichita, Kan., which oversees Nebraska Reserve units.

FULL story at link.

[montana_hazeleyes]

1. I believe her.

The noose threat is being bandied about more and more in the U.S. lately. I believe that under bush** racism has been encouraged big time.

I see racism and racists gaining the arrogance and encouragement to come flying out of the closet they've been all pissed off and enraged at having to be in for awhile.

[Captain Angry]

2. I saw a wild show about supremacist groups a few months back.

They said that while Clinton was in office, many supremacists went off and joined militia groups and were very fringe. They had been scared by talk radio and such about gun seizures and UN control of the world, etc.

When Bush took office, many of the white supremacist groups took a quieter mode. Some were still visibly nuts like the Minutemen, but others were happy that somebody like them was in office. (Note, they didn't pick up on the fact that the guy they thought they were like was a billionaire...)

But the point was that under Bush, the racists had less to fear so they just blended back into society.

I wonder if the racist undertones are finally coming back out because they see themselves "losing power" as Bush falls and moves towards leaving office. (Please let it be in chains!)

[rasputin1952]

3. The investigtion will take it's course, and if the Lt did this...

he's in serious stuff, even if he allowed it, or "looked the other way" after the event, he's pretty well had it. The Army does not take this stuff lightly. I would hope hi scivilian employers would look at this as well, not good for a cop to be involved w/things like this...x(

There is also a possibility the noose was a "plant" because he's a crappy officer and someone decided to get rid of him.