New Hampshire

Police Investigating After American Flags Found Vandalized in New Hampshire

An investigation is underway in a small New Hampshire town after several residents reported having their American flags ripped and cut in the middle of the night.

The symbol of valor and freedom has been found ripped, torn, and sliced in half at different properties in Danville, New Hampshire.

“It’s awful,” said Bruce Johnson, who has lived in Danville for almost 20 years. “It makes me pretty mad, yeah it does.”

The first time it happened to Joyce Gonthier last month, she blamed windy weather.

“So we just let that go,” she said.

But when she put up a new flag two weeks ago, she found it sliced up the center line by morning.

That’s when she went to police.

“It’s terrible,” Gonthier said.

Since then, officials said six more flags have been vandalized. The latest victim called police Tuesday morning.

“They’re very disappointed, I mean it’s our flag, it touches everyone,” Danville police Officer Justine Merced said.

“I know a lot of people are frustrated with our country right now, but it doesn’t help to be aggressive like that,” Danville resident Olivia Stafford said.

It seems taht almost everyone in the community is disappointed, but none more so than the town’s veterans.

“I’m speechless,” said Robert Graham, an emotional Marine Corps veteran who lives in Danville.

Graham said he considers desecrating an American flag a direct attack on those who fought to protect it.

“To do that on our soil is like spitting in the face of 9/11,” Graham said Tuesday. “It doesn’t get any worse than this if you’re an American.”

Neighbors are so eager to catch the people responsible that they’ve put up flags right in front of their surveillance cameras.

Police are warning the suspects that this could be more than vandalism - it could be elevated to a hate crime.

If you know anything about the damaged flags, call Danville police.

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