Pacific Grove officer cleared by investigators after complaints about decals on personal vehicle

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION) A Pacific Grove police officer has been cleared after an investigation into complaints about decals on his personal vehicle.

The three decals included a Three Percenter logo, one with the words "Liberty, Guns, Beer, Trump" and a "Punisher" logo.

Based on the complaints, the city hired a third-party investigator, who said they found that the officer is not a member of any hate or militia group.

"The Officer placed the 'Three Percenter' decal on the vehicle with a sincere belief and understanding that the Three Percenter organization supports the United States Constitution- especially the Second Amendment... The investigation also revealed that the Punisher decal references to a comic book character, not any hate or militia group. Lastly, the investigation revealed that the Officer did not intend to convey any anti-gay message with the Liberty, Guns, Beer, Trump decal," the Police Department said in a statement.

Chief Cathy Madalone said in a statement that a Police Sub-Committee was created by the city as a result of the incident, and it held a town hall meeting to get input from the committee. She said the input helped the city review and revise its parking permit protocol.

"As a Department, we appreciate the support of our community and don't take it lightly. We know it took years to build trust and this quality can be lost in an instant. We understand earning our community's support, and respect, is a never-ending process. We have learned from this incident and plan to move forward and heal together as a community," Madalone said.

Police said the officer, who is not a white male, removed the decals when they learned that some people saw them in a negative light. The City decided based on the investigation that the officer did not violate any policy or law and closed the investigation.