May 22, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Law Enforcement Agencies Demand
Kiehne Apologize and Exit Race
Kiehne compares Arizona Officers to Nazi SS Agents on
National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
The pressure for Gary Kiehne to apologize
for comments made about Arizona Law Enforcement personnel and to bow out of the
race for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District continues to mount. Yesterday, the
Arizona Highway Patrol, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona
Fraternal Order of Police have all issued statements of condemnation. Demands
for an apology and a swift exit from the race for Arizona’s 1st Congressional
District come on the heels of Kiehne’s comments comparing law enforcement
personnel assisting in the evacuation efforts during the 2011 Wallow Fire to
Nazi SS Agents who would “shoot you or me without thinking about it.”
“The Arizona Highway Patrol Association
(AHPA), who represent Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers and civilians
that assisted in the 2011 Wallow Fire, are outraged at comments made by GOP
District One candidate Gary Kiehne in a recent interview. According to Rebekah
L. Sanders of the Arizona Republic, an interview was conducted on Thursday May
15th, 2014, on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, comparing Arizona police
officers to Nazis who would ‘shoot you and me.’ The association feels the
comment was hateful and demands an apology.” “The day we celebrated
the lives of officers that were killed in the line of duty was the same day
[Gary Kiehne] decided to attack our profession,” states Sgt. Jimmy Chavez,
President of the AHPA. “Not only was it a hateful comment, it was an attack on
all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities
safe.”
On Tuesday, the Arizona Police Association
condemned Kiehne’s statements, demanded an apology and asked him to leave the
race. Earlier in the week, Kiehne came under fire for insensitive comments he
made about mass shootings and Vietnamese refugees.
The Arizona Republic story can be found here.
Kiehne’s comments can be viewed here.
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For more information, please contact Tobin
for Congress Campaign Manager Craig Handzlik at press@andytobin.com or
928-275-1417
