Contributed photo
Officer Thomas Luckey holds up an “OK” sign during a photo at his son’s senior night ceremony. This symbol is considered a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.
Photo courtesy of the Anti-Defamation League
This graphic was shared by an anonymous 4chan user in 2017 showing that the “OK” sign can be used to create the letters “WP,” which stands for “white power.”
WADESBORO — A Wadesboro police officer has been placed on administrative leave with pay while the department is investigating the intent behind him displaying the “OK” hand sign in a photo, which has become known as a signifier of white supremacist sentiments online in recent years.
The photo emerged following senior night for the Richmond Senior High School varsity boys’ soccer team on March 8. Officer Thomas Luckey is shown during the opening ceremony making the hand sign at his waist while posing alongside his wife, who is also making the sign, and their son, a player on the RSHS varsity soccer team, who is not making the hand sign.
Wadesboro Police Chief Thedis Spencer confirmed Friday that Luckey has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the investigation. Spencer first received word about the existence of the photo on Tuesday. On Thursday the chief confirmed that the department was looking into Luckey’s usage of the “OK” sign, but did not provide a timeline of how long the investigation could take.
“The Town is very much aware of the photograph circulating that concerns one of our police officers,” Wadesboro Town Manager David Edwards said in an email. “We are actively investigating the nature of this incident.”
Spencer also confirmed Thursday that prior complaints have been filed against Luckey, but did not provide further details other than that they were investigated internally. The Anson Record has requested access to those complaints.
Several of those who claimed to have experienced racial profiling from Luckey gathered outside the Wadesboro Police Department Thursday night, sharing their stories. These residents, along with others who called into the department over the last week, are demanding the department fire Luckey.
“We will be thorough in our investigation, as the sensitive nature of this issue is one that we want to be certain of before making conclusions,” Edwards said. “We hope that the community understands that we take allegations like this very seriously and we that we hold all of our employees to the highest standards.
“We appreciate your patience while this process is completed, and any further information will be communicated at the appropriate time,” Edwards continued.
The Daily Journal attempted to reach Luckey via Facebook Thursday evening, and his wife, Lisa Luckey, Friday morning, but received no response as of press time Friday. A family friend told the Daily Journal that Lisa is taking responsibility for the idea of using the hand sign in the photo with her family, which was part of a game they play among themselves.
The game, known as the “circle game,” involves one person attempting to trick another into looking at the circle formed by the index finger and thumb held below their waist, and if the other person looks, they get punched in the arm. Some variation of this game has been played among children and teens going back several decades, and was depicted in the TV show “Malcolm in the Middle,” though its origins aren’t clear.
There have been allegations of racial prejudice against Luckey in the past. The Anson Record reported in February 2020 that Luckey was accused of profiling in his handling of the case of Mario Melton, a black military veteran from Marshville. Melton said he approached Luckey when he saw the officer detaining his nephew after a Sunday church service in Wadesboro.
Luckey allegedly ordered Melton to back away or face arrest, but Melton said, “I am not afraid of you,” leading to a “tussling match” between the two. A video then emerged showing Luckey repeatedly pushing Melton against the car. He was then tackled to the ground, handcuffed and detained in the police car. Melton was charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting a public officer.
Pastor Steve Adams was also handcuffed as he tried to intervene on Melton’s behalf, but he was later released. Adams later spoke in front of the Wadesboro Town Council criticizing Luckey for racially profiling Melton.
History of the symbol
The “OK” sign has been co-opted in recent years by white supremacists, who sought to create the impression of a growing popularity of their ideas using an already widely used symbol. It was deemed a symbol of hate by the Anti-Defamation League in 2019. The ADL traced the origins of this usage to an anonymous user of the online forum 4chan who in February 2017 announced “Operation O-KKK” in which they encouraged others to “flood Twitter and other social media websites…claiming that the OK hand sign is a symbol of white supremacy.”
The user attached a graphic showing that this gesture forms the letters “W,” with the three extended fingers, and “P,” with the circle formed by the index finger and thumb along with the wrist, representing an acronym for “white power,” according to a screenshot of the original 4chan post captured by the ADL.
