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A Confederate flag that has been flown from private property located just behind Turco Field at Walpole High was removed last Thursday, according to Walpole Police.
According to Walpole Deputy Police Chief Chris Mackenzie, the Walpole Police Department was notified that the flag was no longer flying on Thursday afternoon. A detective was dispatched to investigate the flag at around 4 p.m.
Walpole police learned that the flag had been removed by a neighbor, according to Mackenzie. The neighbor told police that he was authorized to enter the property and the home and take care of the property, and that he removed the flag believing he was also authorized to remove items from the property as well.
“We now have the flag, it is in our custody,” Mackenzie said.
The owners of the home, who had originally installed the flag, passed away in September.
After a mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina over the summer that reignited debate over the flag, the Walpole School Committee voted to distance itself from the Walpole Rebels historical connection with Confederate imagery.
The School Committee also voted to erect a large banner over the Confederate flag to block it from view from Turco Field.
The neighbor who claimed to have removed the Confederate flag also indicated to police that he wanted them to look at several items he had found inside the home, according to Mackenzie. When police examined the objects in question, they discovered what appeared to be a mortar shell.
“[Detective Songin] saw it could be an explosive device and thought it would be the safest to alert the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad,” Mackenzie said. “[The Bomb Squad] were immediately able to tell it was not a live device.”
After the device was determined to be safe, police obtained a search warrant and conducted a formal search of the home to sweep for any other potentially hazardous items, according to Mackenzie.
Mackenzie said the incident posed no risk to the nearby Walpole High School. He noted that the school had already been dismissed when the discovery was made, and that there were no students or activities being held on the high school grounds bordering the home.
No charges are expected to be filed in either incident. Because the mortar did not contain any ammunition or explosive material, the device was legal to possess, and the former owners of the home are deceased.
Mackenzie did note that it is possible that charges could be filed relating to the removal of the Confederate flag by the person who officially oversees the estate, but no one has come forward to file a report.
