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A former Michigan cop who was fired after a framed Ku Klux Klan application and other Confederate memorabilia were found in his home last month, says he has a perfectly innocent explanation for why investigators found those items at his residence.
According to NBC News, last week, Muskegon ex-officer Charles Anderson, was relieved of his post after an investigation was launched in response to claims that the officer had shown potential bias.
READ MORE: Black home buyer finds Ku Klux Klan application during showing of cop’s house
Monday, some redacted documents from the 400-plus page report were released to the public, and uncovered the explanation Anderson gave for being in possession of the racist memorabilia.
Anderson, who is a self-described collector and history buff, says he saw the framed “application for citizenship” to the KKK as an antique that he believed would be “neat” to add to his collection. He also explained that all the Confederate-themed items and imagery he used to decorate his home, were just his way of paying homage to ’80s TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
READ MORE: Ku Klux Klan leaves behind sweet treats and flyers to recruit kids in Upstate New York
“It’s part of our past. It’s our heritage,” Anderson told an investigator when probed about the KKK application. “I mean it occurred, good or bad. It’s a part of history, and I love history and I have thousands of antiques. I could show them to you … I have thousands.”
The former lawman found himself in a world of trouble after local resident Rob Mathis and his wife stumbled upon the racially charged items while taking a real estate tour of the home. The KKK application in particular was framed and hanging prominently in one of the bedrooms.
“I feel sick to my stomach knowing I walked to the home of one of the most racist people in Muskegon hiding behind his uniform,” Mathis, who is Black, wrote on his personal Facebook page.
Despite the extensive collection of memorabilia, which includes Confederate flags and even a Confederate placemat, Anderson is adamant that he is not racist, and just a misunderstood “The Dukes of Hazzard” fan.
READ MORE: Virginia judge rules Charlottesville’s Confederate statues are protected and can’t be taken down
“I have a very, very large collection of the ‘Dukes of Hazzard.’ I have gone to their meets. They call it a Duke’s Fest,” explained the 48-year-old. “It’s where you go down south and you meet in a state and all ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ fans get together.
He went on to share that he once even owned a car that was made to look like the famous “General Lee” vehicle from the show.
“It was a 4 wheel drive and I just used it for play so I have all their videos,” Anderson added. “I love the Dukes of Hazzard and that’s the reason for the Confederate flags. They mean nothing other than it was just part of that collection.”
When asked if he’d ever been affiliated with the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, he replied “no” adding that the fact that he was Catholic would make him ineligible to become a member.
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