She expressed concern that, among other things, the Hanover Patriots were conducting vigilante patrols in 2020, with a reported emphasis on tracking Black citizens. The article quotes David Stanley, a former militia leader who says he trained members of the Hanover Patriots in his firearms school. The Patriots attended the January 6 insurrection and posted pictures of themselves on social media.
A second Hanover County resident, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said they objected to local politicians’ connections to the Hanover Patriots.
“It doesn’t make me feel safe,” the resident said. “I worry about our marginalized community and our kids, like our LGBTQ kids, our Black kids.”
Several Virginia paramilitary leaders are quoted in the article predicting that the upcoming election will lead to violence, which raises a question about how independent are Hanover elected officials from the activities of the Patriots? At least two Hanover County supervisors have posted on Facebook about their participation in Hanover Patriots’ meetings. According to VPM “Every time I attend a Hanover Patriots meeting I am so blessed to be surrounded by true American (and Hanover County) Patriots,” wrote Supervisors Jeff Stoneman, Beaverdam District, and Danielle Floyd, Chickahominy District, in a joint Facebook post from 2023.
Neither Stoneman nor Floyd could be reached for comment on the post."
Contact the Hanover County Sheriff, the Hanover Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, and your Supervisors, and ask questions about their and Hanover County institutions' relationship with the Patriots. Such an organization should not be allowed to have undue influence or to intimidate county officials or residents.
Hanover County Sheriff's Office
email: soinq@hanovercounty.gov
phone: 804-365-6110
Hanover Commonwealth Attorney's Office
email:CAAdmin@hanovercounty.gov
phone: 804-365-6185
Board of Supervisors:
