Photos Unearthed of Nazi Tattoo on Philly Cop

A photo taken of a police officer by an activist at a march for racial justice in Philadelphia has sparked controversy, but not for reasons you might imagine. The picture, posted on Facebook on Wednesday night by Evan Parrish Matthews, shows an officer identified as Ian Hans Lichterman. On Lichterman's left forearm is a Nazi Party emblem called a "partileader."

According to Philadelphia anti-fascist activists, Lichterman has long-standing ties to white supremacist groups. They claim that his name was unearthed in hacks as a member of Blood and Honour, an "international network of Neo-Nazi organizations." They also unearthed photosof someone they claim is Lichterman engaging in Nazi reenactments.

Lichterman's identity has not been confirmed by the Philadelphia police, and Complex's attempts to reach the department for comment were not successful. However, internal records do list him as being on the department's payroll, and this blog post from the department lists him as one of the officers who appeared at a 9/11 remembrance event in 2011.

The police department issued a statement about the situation: