The police sergeant monitoring protests near the residence of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was placed on administrative leave Wednesday for allegedly having ties to white nationalism, the Virginia Division of Capitol Police said in a statement.
"The Virginia Division of Capitol Police was made aware early Wednesday of a possible violation of division policy by one of its sergeants," the law enforcement agency said. "As a result, Sgt. Robert A. Stamm has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of a review by the division."
An anti-fascist group reported the alleged links between Stamm, 36, and a white nationalist pagan organization, Asatru Folk Assembly, or AFA, reports The New York Times. The Antifa Seven Hills group first revealed the ties and said Stamm had an "affinity for imagery, tattoos and Facebook pages associated with Nazis and white supremacists."
The blog posted included pictures of Stamm with flags and banners that the group said were symbols linked to Nazis and white supremacists.
Stamm, who became a corrections officer in 2012, declined to comment on the report. He was promoted to sergeant in 2018.
"There is a review policy in place, and we will follow that policy," said Col. Anthony S. Pike, the division's chief.
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