LOWELL, Mich. — Former Lowell Police Chief Steve Bukala says he lost his job for upholding the U.S. Constitution, an action he says was misrepresented as taking a political position shortly after a riot in downtown Grand Rapids.
“We are sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Michigan,’’ he said in comments Thursday outside his attorney’s home in Hudsonville. “Politics aside, we support the entire Constitution. The city manager and the city council all swear to the same oath that I did.’’
Bukala said he was forced to resign June 4, following a social media post that talked about four young men who planned to open carry in Lowell.
“These four young men, armed, walking the streets were hypersensitive because they didn’t want what happened in Grand Rapids to happen in their town,’’ he said.
Bukala said he talked with City Manager Michael Burns, and they agreed that a social media post alerting people about the ‘open carry’ exercise on Main Street was proper.
Bukala said the post included the line: “The Lowell Police Department supports the Second Amendment and the armed citizen.’’
Burns, he said, knew about the line. “Shortly after that, Burns came into my office, chucking, "we’ll probably get some complaints about the last line,’’ Bukala said.
Burns later wrote in a disciplinary report that “social media chatter on this was very hostile.’’
Bukala said he was told to resign or be fired.
Bukala, who became chief in 2013, had been with the Lowell Police Department for more than 24 years. He says there has been talk about disbanding the department due to budget issues tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Forcing him out of a job, he said, was improper.
And the four, armed young men who walked through Lowell did not cause trouble, he said.
“The bottom line, open carry was allowed by law,’’ Bukala said. “If I had stepped in and tried to stop this, I would have violated the Constitution and the city of Lowell would have been set up for a major lawsuit. I lost my career for standing up for the First and Second Amendment rights.’’
More than a hundred people took to the streets of Lowell on Sunday, June 7 to show support for Bukala and to support the Second Amendment. Some of those who marched carried rifles and handguns.
That display of support, he said, was emotional and moving.
Bukala’s attorney, Katherine Henry, says she would like Lowell officials to own up to what she said was a mistake.
“First of all, acknowledging that firing someone for defending the Constitution is a mistake on their part,’’ she said. “Unequivocally. And a public apology needs to be made.’’
Bukala said he isn’t necessarily looking to get his job back, noting a lack of support from the city manager and some Lowell council members.
“So, there’s at least three people on the city council that don’t want to see me back,’' he said. “And if that’s the situation, I don’t think I can come back.’’
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