Local News

BSO SWAT Sgt. Reprimanded & Reassigned For Wearing 'QAnon' Conspiracy Patch While Greeting VP Pence

December 3, 2018 / 7:11 PM EST / CBS Miami

click to expand

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A decorated 27-year veteran of the Broward County Sheriff's Office is being reprimanded and reassigned after he posed in a group photo with Vice President Mike Pence wearing a "QAnon" conspiracy patch on his official uniform.

Sgt. Matt Patten was issued a written reprimand on Monday. He was also was also removed from BSO's Strategic Investigations Division's Office of Homeland Security. Additionally, he has been removed from the agency's SWAT Team and will be re-assigned to the Department of Law Enforcement.

All this after he appeared in a picture taken on Friday wearing a patch that included an upper-case "Q", along with the phrase "Question the Narrative."

Broward Sheriff's Office Sgt. Matt Patten, left, was photographed wearing a "QAnon" conspiracy patch on his official uniform while greeting Vice President Mike Pence in South Florida on Nov. 30. The photograph, published online by Pence's official Twitter account, was soon deleted. (Source: Vice President Mike Pence, Twitter)

According to the BSO Disciplinary Action Recommendation, "Patten was trusted to work with the U.S. Secret Service to construct the security plan implementing the B.S.O. S.W.A.T. Team to serve as the primary Counter Assault Team (CAT) element for the V.P.O.T.U.S. motorcade during the visit."

The report states "During a group photo on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in front of Air Force 2, Sgt. Patten intentionally placed an unauthorized symbol / patch onto his agency issued SWAT vest to meet and pose with V.P.O.T.U.S. Pence. This unauthorized symbol / patch was approximately four inches in size and was red in color. The center of the patch had the letter "Q" in contrast black coloring. The patch also had the phrase "Question the Narrative" in smaller black font across the top."

The BSO report states, "The symbolism of the patch is very controversial as "Q" is representative of a controversial conservative political conspiracy group identified as "Qanon." Qanon is ultra-supportive of the President Trump Administration and aligns itself with theoretical alternative meanings behind political happenings. Being a highly political entity with a narrow one-sided scope of positioning, public alignment and representation of such a group is in contrast with the core values of political neutrality with the Broward Sheriff's Office. BSO says wearing the patch next to the Vice President was a violation of Conduct Unbecoming an Employee."

Today, Mike Pence posted a photo on Twitter with a Flordia law enforcement officer wearing a QAnon patch for sale on Amazon pic.twitter.com/vnOkk1l5Ee

— Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) November 30, 2018

After the photo was posted on the Vice President's Twitter account, it immediately became under attack and the post was deleted.

Pence was in Florida to appear at a pro-Israel conference.

Patten, is a past recipient of the local Sheriff's Foundation Medallion for his expertise in anti-terrorism training.