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A teenager accused of stomping on and crumpling up a "back the blue" sign in Utah has reportedly been charged with a hate crime.
Garfield County Sheriff's Deputy Cree Carter said he observed a teen take a "back the blue" sign and stomp on it during a routine traffic stop at a gas station, according to the Washington Post via the Hill.
"Back the Blue" is a slogan synonymous with support of law enforcement in the U.S., which has also often been used during counter Black Lives Matter protests.
According to Carter, the teenager, Lauren Gibson, 19, was reported to have crumpled the sign in a "destructive manner" and began to smirk at the deputy in "an intimidating manner," according to his statement on the alleged incident.
Carter then arrested Gibson and charged her with "criminal mischief" with a hate-crime enhancement, which would strengthen the penalty for the offense.
Gibson told the Daily Beast she was shocked by the charges and claims she reacted because Carter initially took an aggressive approach toward her friend.
“I just wanted to, I don’t know, make her feel better or something or stand up for her,” Gibson said.
Gibson's arrest comes months after another Utah resident, Joseph Dawson, 22, was sentenced to two days in jail for spray-painting the word "bisexual" in pink letters over a similar sign.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah said it was "troubled and disappointed" by news of Gibson's arrest, which it claimed sent a "chilling message" to the community that government and law enforcement will seek harsh punishment to those publicly expressing disagreement with their actions in a statement on its website Tuesday (July 12).
“Finally, this case is a reminder that we believe that prosecutors should exercise their discretion about whether to bring any criminal charges at all with an eye toward what kinds of incidents are truly worth using government resources to pursue," the statement reads. "Bringing a charge against this person that could result in her spending a year in jail makes no sense both in terms of simple fairness and expending the county’s time and money.”
The Garfield County Sheriff's did not respond to the Hill's request for a comment in relation to Gibson's arrest.