Brentwood Police Investigate Effigy Of Biden Hanging Outside Trump Supporter's Home
BRENTWOOD, CA – Police in Brentwood on Thursday confirmed that officers responded to an effigy hanging outside a residence that apparently was supposed to represent Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
According to a news release, officers responded Wednesday morning to a home on Craig Court to investigate a report of a mannequin hanging outside the residence.
There were several social media posts that showed the home decorated with American flags and prominent signs supporting President Donald Trump, including flashing lights spelling out the president's last name.
Those posts decried the hatred that the figure hanging in effigy represented. One Brentwood resident, a 26-year-old Black woman, said in an email that the homeowner "...has a history of posting outlandish and offensive signs in support of Trump and had a confederate flag several years back."
Arriving officers found a mannequin hanging from a rope from the side of a two-story home. The mannequin was clothed in a long sleeved shirt and denim blue jeans with black baseball cap that obscured the mannequin's face, . A cardboard sign placed across the mannequin's chest read "Sleepy Joe (Cheater)" officers said. "Sleepy Joe" is a nickname for the former vice president that President Trump has frequently invoked during the campaign.
Brentwood officers talked to the homeowner, who agreed to take the mannequin down.
The mannequin was photographed by police and officers wrote a police report documenting the incident. The Brentwood Police Department consulted with the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office to inquire if the display of the effigy was a crime, showing the photograph of the mannequin hanging at the residence.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office confirmed that this was not a criminal act, stating offensive expression is protected under the First Amendment.
Police said the investigation into the incident would be forwarded to the United States Secret Service for review.
