A retired police captain from Idaho was discovered to have had ties to white supremacist groups during his tenure with the Boise Police Department.
Matthew Bryngelson, whose 22-year career in law enforcement ended with his retirement in August, appears on the list of speakers from a conference hosted by American Renaissance, a website that promotes white supremacist views.
Bryngelson, who was to present a lecture titled “Police Bashing and What It Means for America,” was listed as Daniel Vinyard, the name of a neo-Nazi character in the 1998 film “ American History X”.
Bryngelson’s involvement in the conference caught the eye online after Twitter user Molly Conger posted a thread about it over the weekend.
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The conference’s webpage described Bryngelson as “a down-to-earth retired police officer with 30 years of experience, including gang enforcement, SWAT, and narcotics detective.” The entry shows a photo of Bryngelson wearing his police uniform.
Bryngelson would also articles written in which he noted the time in his police career when he “became aware of the violent tendencies of black people”.
The group’s website also featured one hour video in which Bryngelson, as Daniel Vinyard, is interviewed by American Renaissance founder Jared Taylor. Although posted in September, the video is dated May 8, when Bryngelson was still captain. The video is no longer visible on the site.
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During the interview, Bryngelson tells Taylor that black perpetrators commit crimes “that the sane human mind cannot even comprehend…much less execute.”
He also argued that the killings of black men by police officers could have been prevented had they complied with authorities.
In September, Bryngelson was one of the officers who filed a complaint against former Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee. The Asian American officer, who had previously been investigated on charges of injuring an officer during a restraint protest, was asked by Boise Mayor Lauren McLean to resign shortly thereafter.
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“I was torn because I was so dedicated to the city and the community and the approximately 110 officers I captained,” Lee told KTVB. “But I couldn’t do it physically anymore. It was ruining my life. »
Bryngelson’s involvement in white supremacist groups coincided with his time as the host of the weekly BPD podcast “The rhythm of the TPBin which he interviewed other officers, civilians and members of the community.
Episodes of “BPD Beat” ranged from the department’s support of LGBTQ Pride events to its cooperation with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
In a statement released on Monday, the The BPD condemned Bryngelson‘s actions and remarks toward people of color “in our department and in our community” as “offensive and disturbing.”
“We have communicated internally to everyone in this agency in any capacity that if anyone shares these types of thoughts, feelings, values or ideologies – this department and this line of work is not for them. “, reads the press release. “As a department, we are committed to taking prompt action with anyone who may be harboring similar feelings.”
On Sunday, Mayor McLean posted a tweet announcing she was aware of Bryngelson’s involvement in white supremacist activities, which she called “racist and dehumanizing propaganda.”
“The fact that such a person could serve in the department for two decades is appalling,” McLean wrote. “The people of Boise deserve a police department worthy of their investment and trust, and we are launching a full investigation accordingly.”
Mayor McLean announced Monday that a full investigation into Bryngelson will be launched.
Image selected via Boise Police Department
