click to enlarge - Oliver Parini
- Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo attending a rally at which residents protest KKK fliers
Burlington police say they have identified the man who distributed Ku Klux Klan recruitment fliers at the homes of two African American residents earlier this month, but are unsure if he will be charged with a crime.
A detective on Monday interviewed the man, who admitted distributing the fliers, police said. Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan is weighing whether to charge him with a crime, police said.
The man is cooperating with police, and his statements have been corroborated with video and fingerprint evidence, police said. Because he has not been charged with a crime, police said, they are refraining from revealing who he is.
“Identifying this man was the product of excellent detective work by Burlington investigators,” Chief Brandon del Pozo said in a prepared statement. “It was the culmination of tips provided by both the community and the FBI, forensic and video analysis, and a thorough investigation. On its face, the placement of a handful of fliers in semi-public places is a very difficult case to solve. That our detective bureau was able to identify and find the person thought to be behind this act is a testament to their skill and professionalism, especially that of Detective Nash. It demonstrates that a relationship of trust between the police and the community can generate the leads that ultimately solve cases.”
When the father of a woman who received a flier contacted police, a dispatcher told him no crime had been committed — a reaction del Pozo later called a mistake. Local activists have described the incident as a hate crime. The fliers said, "Join the Klan, Save our Land."
Activists staged a rally outside Burlington City Hall last week in which they decried the fliers and the police response.