Arkansas police chief resigns after calling for violence against Democrats

 An Arkansas police chief who posted calls for violence against Democrats on social media resigned from his job on Saturday.

Lang Holland, who was police chief of the roughly 1,300-person city of Marshall, Arkansas, drew outrage from both local residents and people around the country after making ominous comments online in recent days. In addition to repeatedly saying Democrats should be killed, he shared memes from conspiracy theory QAnon and claimed that the election was being stolen.

"Death to all Marxist Democrats," Holland posted on Parler, a new social media site popular with conservatives and used as an alternative to Twitter. "Take no prisoners leave no survivors!!"

One image he shared depicted a group of Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, wearing prison jumpsuits. Under the image he wrote: "I pray all those in that picture hang on the gallows and are drawn and quartered!!!! Anything less is not acceptable."

CNN could not reach Holland for comment. His Parler account was made private on Saturday.

Marshall Mayor Kevin Elliott issued a statement Saturday stating Holland had resigned from his position, effective immediately.

"The City of Marshall strongly condemns the actions of Mr. Holland in his posts to social media," Elliot wrote in the statement. "The Marshall community does not in any way support or condone bullying or threats of violence to anyone of any political persuasion...the Marshall Police force is here to serve and protect EVERYONE."

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Elliott said he called a meeting with Holland on Saturday after his phone continued to ring off the hook with calls from people who had seen the chief's posts on Parler -- posts that were also spread across Twitter and Reddit.

The mayor said he was surprised and disturbed to find out about the posts. He described Holland as a "hero" who had served multiple tours overseas and said he "is very, very United States." But he said Holland's social media posts were out of line.

"It's not acceptable for the City of Marshall," he said. "We don't care if you're Republican or Democrat. You're a voice and you have a right."

Holland made national news earlier this year when he publicly refused to enforce the state's Covid-19 mask mandate.