Boone police investigate antisemitic flag incident at Jewish temple

Boone police are investigating an antisemitic act at a Jewish temple on the outskirts of downtown.

Police say someone was at the Temple of the High Country on King Street Wednesday waving a flag bearing a swastika.

Officers arrived and found the flag at the scene but the person had left.

Police are working with temple leaders to provide extra security. The act was not caught on the temple’s video cameras and investigators are checking with nearby businesses to see if their security systems captured it.

Boone Police Chief Andy LeBeau says the flag incident follows at least two other recent cases where swastikas were painted in public places.

LeBeau says while they want to know more about who was waving the flag, the act is likely to fall under constitutionally protected free speech.

”So we’re not necessarily doing a criminal investigation," he says. "But we are doing an investigation for intelligence purposes to gather more information. Certainly for us we view it as a red flag when someone will go to this effort to display their hatred toward a certain community and group of people.”

Investigators are also sharing information about the incident with local, state and federal authorities.

Condemnation of the act included a social media post from U.S. 5th District Representative Virginia Foxx of Watauga County, who said antisemitism has no place in our society and that the people of Boone won’t stand for it.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Boone Police Department at (828) 268-6900.