2 Suspects ID'd In Anti-Cop, Anti-Trump Signs In Westport: UPDATE

WESTPORT, CT — An investigation is underway in Westport to find those responsible for posting threatening messages throughout the downtown area against police and President Donald Trump, Westport Police Lt. Anthony Prezioso confirmed to Patch. On Wednesday, police said that two possible suspects have been identified.

The paper, flyer-type signs, approximately 50 of them, were taped to exterior walls and windows of downtown businesses over the weekend and discovered early Sunday. Most of the signs were found in and around Church Lane.

"The messages varied, however the vast majority featured anti-police and anti-President Trump statements of a threatening nature," Prezioso said in an email to Patch.

Some signs carried slogans such as "This Town Is Ours, Kill Trump, Fight the White," "Only Good Cop is a Dead Cop," and "Kill Trump, and once we win, we're coming to Westport," writes the news blog 06880.

On Wednesday, First Selectman Jim Marpe; Second Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker; Selectwoman Melissa Kane; Westport Democratic Town Committee Chair Ellen Lautenberg; and Westport Republican Town Committee Chair Joseph Sledge issued a joint statement denouncing the hateful signs:

As Chairs of the Westport Republican and Democratic Town Committees and elected leaders of Westport, we publicly and jointly denounce the hateful messaging that was discovered in town on Sunday morning. We believe that regardless of political affiliation or personal beliefs, there is no place for disrespect, hateful messaging or violence to express one's perspective. We hope that all Westport residents will do what they can to maintain civility both leading up to and beyond Election Day.

Prezioso also issued the following statement Wednesday updating the case. Whether arrests are eminent was not disclosed:

A report of paper fliers featuring various threatening messages posted downtown during the early morning hours of Sunday September 27, 2020 has recently received a great deal of attention on social media and blog postings as well as from local news outlets. The Westport Police Department understands that this incident has caused a great deal of alarm and varying levels of concern for many living within our community and with that in mind has been working diligently to identify the responsible individual(s). The investigation of this case has remained an extremely active one from the receipt of the initial report to the present time. The probe of this matter also has featured close collaboration with federal law enforcement officials based on some of the statements directly expressed in these postings.

As of this writing, the investigative efforts of the Westport Police Department Detective Bureau have yielded information on two responsible parties. With that significant development, the Department wishes to take this opportunity to assure all that there is currently no viable threat to the community relative to this incident. At the present time this investigation remains open and active, and any additional developments relative to the case will be detailed at a later date.