Flag Burning, Racial Slurs Investigated

ARLINGTON, Tenn. - Charred pieces of the American flag still litter the front yard of the Macedonia United Methodist Church in Arlington.

Mary Kirk, a church member for 67 years says, "it shocked me, it shocked me, i couldn't believe it."

Early Wednesday morning, someone tore down the flag pole, took off the flag and burned it.
Kirk, lives next door to the church and says, "it had to be burned at night too much traffic around here for it not to be."

The letters on the display sign in front of the church were also re-arranged to read "U N I SMOKE WEED" on one side and a racial slur on the other.
Kirk says the church doesn't have any African American members but she says, it doesn't matter, the racial slur is horrible.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office now has a special undercover team working on the case, along with other detectives.
But right now they're investigating the crime as misdemeanor vandalism, not a hate crime.

Steve Shular, a spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office says, "we're still dealing with the situation it's disturbing simply because someone bold enough to break down a flag pole, burn that flag and there were messages put on a board we are certainly doing everything to find out who's responsible."

Witnesses told police they saw a man in his 30's on a 4-wheeler with a 5 gallon gas can at the church around the time of the incident. But teens were also spotted in the area.

According to the attorney general's office, there are no hate crime laws in Tennessee and since there was no damage done to the church itself and no one was hurt the people responsible are facing misdemeanor charges.
That means up to 11 months in jail, unless the FBI gets involved.

Joel Siskovic, a spokesperson for the FBI believes juveniles are likely involved.
He says, "While the FBI doesn't federally prosecute juveniles a spokesperson says it will work closely with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in the event this escalates beyond what it seems to be."

But until the people responsible are caught, Kirk says she plans to keep a closer eye on her neighbors but is not sure what steps church leaders will take.
Kirk says, "i don't know, you can't keep a guard at the church all the time."

If you have any information about this crime, call Crimestoppers at 528-CASH. That's 528-2274.