Merrill Police Chief Ned Seubert issued a press release Tuesday afternoon responding to the press release from the Recall Committee.
Seubert said in the release that contrary to what the recall release said, no MPD officers were near the table when petition sheets were allegedly defaced and ripped.
“Two officers were assigned to the recall petition area and were told to remain in the area until the rally had completed. This rally represented opinions and views of people on both sides. It was the intent of the Merrill Police Department to make sure that the rally remained peaceful and safe for all participants.
“Any violation of rights to obtain signatures by the recall committee will be investigated and forwarded to the Lincoln County District Attorney’s office for possible charges,” Seubert said in the release.
Seubert said that the MPD will use new information it has received to attempt to identify the woman who is suspected of ripping the petition sheets.