From Staff Reports 

Rondell Lance on Dec. 3 was re-elected by local law enforcement offcers as president of the Asheville Fraternal Order of Police, a post he reportedly has held for 24 years.

Lance on Nov. 24 was found guilty of two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of assault on a female, “though he will likely face no punishment under the sentence imposed,” the Asheville Citizen Times recently noted. “Lance, who is 61 and a former Democratic candidate for sheriff, declined to comment after the ruling.”

The FOP is one of two police advocacy groups in Buncombe County. The other is the Mountain Chapter of the N.C. Police Benevolent Association. The state does not allow police unions.

In a story on Lance’s re-election, the Skyline News Facebook page reported that, “earlier this summer, anarchists tried to enter the Renaissance Hotel (in downtown Asheville), injured the ear of a security guard, and attempted to bust out the hotels windows during a violent protest.

“Lance followed the anarchists and showed their protest LIVE on Facebook. When the anarchists attacked an APD officer, Lance pulled the anarchists off the officer, possibly saving the officer’s life. Lance also stopped an anarchist from picking up a knife that one of the protestors dropped.

“In his efforts to help the police officer, Lance was found guilty of misdemeanor assault against one of the protestors,” Skyline News stated. 

What’s more, Skyline News quoted Randy Hagler, state president of the NCFOP, as saying, “FOP Lodge #1 President Rondell Lance is elected by the members of his local lodge to serve as their president and this conviction for the misdemeanors in this case will not change that.  

“President Lance had a distinguished career with (the) APD and this episode of him standing and attempting to protect the men and women that he worked with will not suffer for his advocacy. President Lance will remain the president of FOP Lodge #1 as long as his members continue to support him.”

As for what he sees as next for Lance, Hagler was quoted by Skyline News as saying he could not comment on that question “because that will be his (Lance’s) decision, but I can tell you that North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police will continue to support him as he represents his members across Buncombe County.”

Skyline then quoted an APD officer, who it said requested anonymity, as saying, “Rondell looks after us (police officers) and this community. At a time when our city leaders want to defund us, Rondell defends us —  and in this city, that is a man with no fear.”

To the contrary, the ACT recently contacted what it touted as “a top law enforcement scholar,” who has called for Lance to resign after his conviction on three misdemeanors, including assault on a female. 

“John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Maria Haberfeld said while local FOP President Rondell Lance leads a private group not associated with the Asheville Police Department, his convictions stemming from a summer Black Lives Matter demonstration hurt the law enforcement profession,” the ACT reported.