Police chief: Black Lives Matter is a "terrorist group"

Surf City, NC - SURF CITY, N.C. (AP) -- A North Carolina town has approved the retirement of the police chief after he referred to the Black Lives Matter movement as a terrorist group in a Facebook post.

The town council in Surf City approved the retirement of Police Chief Mike Halstead during an emergency meeting Tuesday.

Halstead is white and had planned to retire this year. The town approved the retirement following a Sept. 3 Facebook post by Halstead.

In the 662-word post, he called Black Lives Matter "nothing more than an American born terrorist group." Halstead said neither the government nor blacks would tolerate a white supremacist group marching through the streets calling for the murders of public servants.

Halstead removed the post, which was on his personal account, this week.