Flag disputes have been in the news frequently in recent weeks, largely due to the New York Times’s zany diatribe against conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife, Martha-Ann.
But recently a different scenario played out in a miniature town in Connecticut, where the tragic death of a police officer and the way the Democratic-led city council decided to “honor” him outraged residents.
Before we address the flag issue, we should learn more about it the fallen soldier:
Thousands of people, including police officers from across the Northeast and beyond, gathered Wednesday for the funeral of a Connecticut state trooper who was killed by a fleeing driver during a traffic stop last week.
Private First Class Aaron PelletierThe 34-year-old was remembered as a dedicated civil servant and loving husband and father of two juvenile boys.
“He was a man of integrity and honor, and I will make sure our children always know that those qualities definitely came from him,” his wife Dominique said in a tearful speech. “To my sweetheart, you were not just my husband. You were my home. You were my heart. You were my safe place and my provider. My best friend. My secret keeper. My favorite gossip.”
Friends, family and colleagues from the first responder field from here and across the country came together to #HartfordCT on Wednesday to pay their respects to a fallen hero: Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, who died in the line of duty on May 30, 2024. 🚔💙 pic.twitter.com/6jrsnmPaUF
— WFSB Channel 3 (@WFSBnews) June 5, 2024
Officer Aaron Pelletier was killed during a traffic stop by a drunk driver who then fled the scene. His K9 partner was unharmed. https://t.co/5jcphahwQ4 pic.twitter.com/p0jhJTJrKV
— Betsy Brantner Smith (@sgtbetsysmith) June 1, 2024
The dispute, which began before Pelletier’s memorial service took place, revolves around the Wethersfield City Council’s refusal to fly the Thin Blue Line flag, instead decide for it Let the American flag fly at half-mast…along with the Pride flag:
Councilman Rich Bailey (R) asked the city to fly the Thin Blue Line flag, but the council did not approve the request.
“At my home, [the flag] means police, and they protect us and are our first line of defense,” Bailey said. “They’re always there, they’re always here and they’re always there for us.”
[…]
“For many, many people, it represents racism and hostility. If you personally don’t believe that and you fly the flag on your own house and believe it means something to you, that’s a much more positive thing,” said City Council member Emily Zambrello (D). “It’s just not what many people think about it. It’s not appropriate to fly the flag over our City Hall, especially when our flag policy prohibits us from doing anything associated with hate.”
The measure was rejected 5-3-1, with five Democrats voting against and one abstaining, while the three Republicans on the City Council voted in favor of displaying the flag.
Watch (Note: Councilwoman Zambrello is referred to as a Republican in the following clip, but she is a Democrat):
INCORRIGIBLE
Democrats in Connecticut voted against flying the American Blue Flag to honor fallen police officer Aaron Pelletier, who was killed in the line of duty.
Instead, they flew the Pride Flag at half-mast in his honor. The Pride Flag. I’m lost for words. This is a disgrace.… https://t.co/J0jLfj7j6l pic.twitter.com/7qJQ9oZqSA
– Libs from TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 6, 2024
It’s just incomprehensible to me how anyone could vote against raising a Thin Blue Line flag for a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. On the other hand, the woke left keeps showing us who they really are with stunts like this, so it’s not really surprising that they would show such a level of disrespect to a man who lost his life in service to his community.
But even as they now show their true colors, others have stepped in to fill the void left by their cowardly lack of leadership:
Please @WethersfieldDTC If you won’t do it for Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, we will. @WethersfieldPD @CT_STATE_POLICE @IUPA34233 pic.twitter.com/asjUi2bqu2
— ThinBlueLineVirginia (@TBLVirginia) June 7, 2024
Incidentally, the man who allegedly hit and killed Pelletier and then tried to flee is Alex Oyola-Sanchez, who pleaded not guilty through his attorney. According to local News reportsHe was “convicted of murder and attempted manslaughter in Puerto Rico, court officials said.”
This is Alex Oyola-Sanchez – the man who, according to state police, hit and killed trooper Aaron Pelletier. He is charged with manslaughter. We found out he has already served a federal sentence for murder and was arrested for manslaughter in Puerto Rico – where he is from. @WFSBnews pic.twitter.com/dIpg8ygHcc
— Sam Smink (@samsminknews) May 31, 2024
A GoFundMe campaign was established for Trooper Pelletier’s wife and children. $602,000 has been raised so far.
Similar –>> Hoge’s Heroes: Dramatic video shows police officer bringing boy back to life with “LifeVac” suffocation device
Editor’s note: This article has been updated for clarity.
