CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. - Chesterfield Police are investigating after a family discovered their Confederate flag burned Wednesday morning.
Carol Hermsen has collected flags for decades and recently put up a Confederate flag on her flag pole in her front yard. However, on Wednesday she said she woke up to find the flag burned, and in the middle of the street.
"It's just the principle, to think that somebody could come on someone's property like that and rip down somebody's property and burn it," she said, "It doesn't make sense."
The Chesterfield woman said she understood there has been controversy surrounding the Confederate flag, but said she doesn't see it as a symbol of hate. Hermsen also said it was on her own property.
"People are not understanding the history behind it," she said, "It wasn't over slavery, it wasn't over hatred, it was about what we believe today in our rights and our freedom."
Chesterfield Police said 6 they are investigating, but as of late Wednesday night, they did not have any leads. Hermsen said she believed it happened sometime between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.
She said she hoped police find the person responsible, but said she also worried about what else could have happened.
"What if they would have tried to do something and set fire to the house?" she said, "fire is fire."
