“Opie, something is rotten in the state of North Carolina.”
Posted on 07/04/2017 5:14:24 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. - Signs still advertise the annual Independence Day celebration in downtown Hamlet, but Monday, a day before the festivities, city leaders abruptly canceled them.
Fourth of July fun that typically packs the downtown streets of Hamlet every year with families won't happen this year.
“It kind of surprises me to see they shut an event like this down,” Harrison Davis said.
The reason for the abrupt decision to cancel the festivities and fireworks show is the threat of gang violence.
“Yeah, it's upsetting, but if you think about it, there's a lot of harmless people out here and you got a lot of people that's got families,” Cody Locklear said.
Hamlet Police Chief Scott Waters said officers received credible threats from multiple people over the weekend threatening violence at the celebration.
“When it comes to public safety, why take the chance of having someone innocent to get hurt?” Waters said.
City leaders said that canceling the Fourth of July celebration upsets a lot of people, but they don't want to risk violence.
"Those risks are not worth taking for the lives of innocent citizens and visitors to our city.”
Investigators determined the threats weren't toward police or spectators but were about gang-retaliation for last week's murder of Tierrell Martin outside a Hamlet convenience store.
Hamlet is one of only two places that display fireworks in Richmond County on the Fourth of July, and the festivity draws thousands.
Hamlet City Manager Jonathan Blanton said officials discussed alternatives but decided it was best to cancel the annual event.
The cancellation was “a very devastating and difficult decision that we did not haphazardly rush into this morning,” Blanton said.
The police chief said his officers are meeting and forming a gang task force with law enforcement across the county.
Can’t risk the chance LEO’s might discharge a weapon at a protected class.
Bad optics.
Terrible for re-election campaigns.
“Opie, something is rotten in the state of North Carolina.”
Hamlet was badly damaged by rioting way back when. I recall that because it’s on the old shortcut to the beach from this part of NC, we drove through it at least once a summer for the duration of my childhood. I still recall seeing smoldering debris lying by the side of the street, even houses with contents strewn about the front lawn. And, while I hate to pin this on a certain set of people, the name Locklear means Lumbee, in NC at least it does.
Pajamaboy in charge. That explains a lot.
Guess where the money went for the Independence Day celebration.
They can now change the name of that berg to “Gangland” now that the gangs have won. Who would even want to live in such a place? Had I been mayor of that “Hamlet”, I would have invited every motorcycle group from miles around to come and help us “celebrate” the 4th instead of shutting it down. One stipulation would be that they would MAINTAIN “peace” at all costs. There would be a reward for bringing in (what was left) of anyone causing civil unrest.
I’d probably never get elected though.
Recall/impeach the screamer.
Just whimpering per the leader of the poodle pack's command is he?
Obama Urges Americans Not to Embrace Too Much Patriotism
–
over July 4th Weekend
Following the lead of their taqiyya Poodle In Chief are they?
The former US president said some countries had adopted “an aggressive kind of nationalism” and “increased resentment of minority groups”, in a speech in Indonesia on Saturday that could be seen as a commentary on the US as well as Indonesia.
http://www.theamericanmirror.com/obama-warns-americans-much-patriotism-july-4th-weekend/
It’s adorable the town thinks that cancelling Independence Day will actually stop the retaliation. Idiots.
Deputize anyone that can legally own a firearm for police duties.
Looks like an anti-American Leftis mayor to me...
Just down the road a piece from “THE ROCK” . . the greatest one-mile racetrack formally on the NASCAR circuit. .which is one of the many reasons NASCAR today has so many “formally” fans (count the empty seats at last Sat. Coke Zero 400?)
Hamlet is the place where there was a chicken fryer explosion that killed a couple of dozen people in a processing plant back in the early 90’s.
It keeps the white people from getting hurt.
4th of July celebrations would drive them crazy with Trump in charge.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
— Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
North Carolina signed onto this declaration - you are responsible for providing this for the citizens - Do IT!!!!
A 93-year-old veteran of World War II led prayers before everyone ate hot dogs while hanging around being very hot. The BI-LO donated watermelons. There was a car show of about 20 cars, plus a Great Dane as big as a car.
Nice time all around. I don’t know if anyone from Hamlet was there ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
