18 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: SEPTEMBER 2017 I n Texas recently, armed members of a militia group ap- peared to be work- ing alongside uni- formed law enforcement personnel during a public event featuring Gov. Greg Abbott. According to multiple media reports, a heavily armed militia group joined Texas police who were providing security during a peaceful protest at a public event for Governor Greg Abbott. The governor had a rally with supporters at a McAl- len area barbecue restau- rant a day after announcing his re-election campaign. Some people showed up to protest and were greeted by men dressed as soldiers carrying an impressive ar- ray of weapons. Militia members wore camouflage fatigues and openly carried military- style rifles, as they stood alongside McAllen police in what appeared to be a joint operation. Reporters on the scene said the militia members were friendly and some even talked with protes- tors. But certain individuals complained about the civil- ian paramilitaries. “There really was no need for semi-automatic weapons and the Texas Militia,” said Danny Diaz, a community organizer for LUPE and a school coun- selor. “It was just teachers, students, children, immi- grants and people who care for human rights outside his event peacefully protest- ing. I guess the Governor thinks he needs this type of security but his type of intimidation tactic was way out of line.” A man who wished to remain anonymous (but who was adamant that he be described as “the com- mander of the militia’s Beaumont unit”) told the Houston Chronicle in August of 2015 that group members swear an oath to “protect and defend the Constitu- tion against all enemies, domestic or abroad.” Like many other anti- government groups, the Texas State Militia has doz- ens of units in the Lone Star state and boasts that they have a lot of members who are former and current mili- tary and law enforcement veterans. The man also wanted to be clear that militia members must submit to some type of “background check.” “There are many differ- ent organizations, ours is just one of them. There are certain fringe groups that we don’t associate with,” he told the Chronicle. “We want to take the stigma off of militias. We’re not terrorists; we’re not a racial group.” All evidence is that Gov- ernor Abbott is a big militia fan. He doesn’t have the power to deploy the civil- ians because, well… they’re civilians. But Abbott did order the Texas State Guard to monitor the military’s Jade Helm 15 training op- eration that provoked fears of a federal takeover by former President Barack Obama. Sick Punisher Patch Bro! Militia Lives Matter! Members of the Texas militia get together to have fun on one of their outings. Do these guys have some friends in very high places? It’s unclear if law enforcement professionals in Texas agreed to work with these people or if it was just total chaos. Same team, right? JOIN TODAY… DON’T DELAY! THE FINEST LEGAL DEFENSE PROTECTING YOU FROM CIVIL, CRIMINAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INCIDENTS Phone Consultation Program, Cancer Care Coverage, Vision Coverage, University Tuition, Car Rentals and Discounts, Pre-paid Legal Program, Group Term Life Insurance, Directors and Officers Liability, Union Liability, Group AD&D, and Fidelity Bonds. ™ Duty-Related Civil, Criminal and Administrative Incidents ™ After Hours Answering Service for Critical Incidents ™ $5,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment Included [24/7, on or off duty] ™ Plan A-HR-218 Legal Defense Coverage Included ™ Team Legal Defense Program for Union Members and Locals FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Leslie McMahon, Executive Director 800-367-4321, ext. 1010 or lesliem@plea.net P.O. Box 1197 Troy, MI 48099-1197 THE FINEST LEGAL DEFENSE PROTECTION AVAILABLE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AVAILABLE: TO ENROLL IN LEGAL DEFENSE CALL: 1-800-367-4321 WWW.PLEA.NET FOLLOW US ON: @ProfessionalLawEnforcementAssociation