A Facebook post by Adams County Sheriff James Muller has drawn intense criticism from local residents and officials during the recent ‘No Kings’ protests against the Trump administration. The now-deleted image showed a photoshopped white Dodge Ram pickup truck splattered with red paint, resembling blood, and captioned ‘The All New Dodge Ram Protester Edition.’
Controversy Erupts
The image, posted during nationwide demonstrations, sparked widespread outrage both online and offline. Adams County Commissioner Marty Qually issued a strongly worded statement condemning Sheriff Muller’s actions. ‘Statements of horror and disgust at this action are as useless as ‘thoughts and prayers’ after a mass shooting,’ Qually said. ‘They do nothing to change the future.’
Official Reaction
Qually expressed serious concerns about Muller’s actions, stating that they risked the safety of both law-abiding citizens and law enforcement officers. ‘It is unacceptable and has no place in Adams County,’ he emphasized. The majority of the board of commissioners is drafting a statement to condemn Muller’s actions, although Qually himself won’t support it due to the lack of repercussions.
Background
Sheriff Muller, who has served in law enforcement for over 26 years, including 16 as sheriff, did not respond to multiple media requests for comment. His office biography notes that he didn’t run for re-election in the May primary and had previously run unopposed in several elections. The controversy comes amid a series of questionable social media comments from law enforcement officials nationwide regarding protest handling.
As of Tuesday, June 17, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office had not issued an official statement regarding the incident. The post’s deletion and subsequent screenshots circulating on Facebook groups around central Pennsylvania, particularly in Gettysburg where recent protests have occurred, have kept the controversy in the spotlight.
