Jon Murad, the deputy police chief of Burlington, Vermont, hand-delivered an LGBTQ Pride flag to a gay couple whose flag was targeted by an arsonist on June1 as it hung from the couple’s porch. The couple was not at home at the time but said they feared for their house and their lives.
The Burlington Free Press reports: ‘Tucked into the new flag was a handwritten card from Police Chief Brandon del Pozo. He wrote about Stonewall, the 1969 riots against police violence in Manhattan, and the historical oppression of the LGBTQ+ community by police.’
Investigators have since released disturbing surveillance video which shows a person lighting the flag on fire.
WVNY reports: “Police have released two pieces of video of the incident and are hoping the public can help identify the culprits. One video shows a lone individual walking directly towards the home just after 4:30 a.m. June 1st. The person appears to light the flag on fire without hesitation and walking away toward Riverside Avenue. Police say they also want to talk to a potential witness seen riding a bicycle on Riverside Avenue headed toward Intervale Road around the time of the incident.”
