A Democrat-led town council in Connecticut chose not to fly the “thin blue line” flag in honor of a state trooper who was killed in the line of duty, with one member labeling it as “antagonistic.”

The Wethersfield Town Council voted 5 to 3 against flying the “thin blue line” flag after a heated discussion, citing its associations with “white supremacist” and “antagonistic” groups.

During the town council meeting, Democratic Councilmember Emily Zambrello remarked that the flag was “viewed as antagonistic.”

“That flag was either created or at least became prevalent in direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests,” Zambrello said. “It’s viewed as antagonistic even if you don’t see it that way and I don’t think that’s a good flag to fly, especially not without further discussion.”

In an interview, Wethersfield Mayor Ken Lesser suggested the flag had racist connotations.

“It is now being used by white supremacist groups and other far-right types of groups,” Lesser said. “And even many police departments around the country and in Connecticut have said that ‘we don’t authorize to use that flag.'”

The conflict arose after 34-year-old Connecticut State Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier was killed during a routine traffic stop, leaving behind a wife and two young boys.

Republican Council Member Rich Bailey proposed raising the “thin blue line” flag over town hall to honor Pelletier’s sacrifice, sparking immediate backlash from the council’s Democratic majority.

According to Thin Blue Line USA, a company selling merchandise featuring the flag supporting law enforcement, veterans, and first responders, the thin blue line symbolizes police officers who maintain order.

“The thin blue line flag is flown to show support for our heroes in law enforcement and serves as a consoling reminder they will always be there to protect us,” the Thin Blue Line USA website states. “For those who walk it, the thin blue line is a reflection of courage, a pledge of brotherhood and a tribute to those who have fallen in the line of duty.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Republican Councilmember Brianna Timbro expressed her disappointment.

“There were so many ways this could have been handled and the way it was, in my opinion, is not only disrespectful to TFC Aaron Pelletier and his family but law enforcement across our nation.”

The debate over the “thin blue line” flag occurred after the council had planned to raise the Pride flag for LGBT Pride Month.

“They had already scheduled the raising of the Pride flag on the 4th,” Timbro noted. “During that ceremony, State Rep. Amy Morrin-Bello (D) mentioned showing respect for TFC Aaron Pelletier by not raising the Pride flag but instead putting it at half-mast.”

Democratic Councilmember Miki Duric told Fox News Digital his opposition to the “thin blue line” flag was based more on procedural issues than the flag itself.

“I haven’t made any comments on the actual flag, my comments were in regard to our current policy, procedures of how we get to vote on any flag,” he said.

Duric referred Fox News Digital to a recent Facebook post, stating that Councilmember Bailey knew the town’s policy required special flag requests to be made 30 days before the meeting, which he allegedly did not do.

“Our flag policy was adopted in February of 2024 and this meeting showed that it’s not a perfect policy. It showed that we need to amend it and allow some flags to be flown on short notice. I was personally involved in creating our current policy and I will get involved in amending it,” he said.

On June 5, more than 1,500 people attended Pelletier’s funeral at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford.

Pelletier’s wife, Dominique Pelletier, spoke at the funeral, honoring her husband’s memory.

“The light in our smiles will be forever dimmed,” she said. “You weren’t just my husband, you were my home. You were my heart … my best friend, my secret keeper.”

“He balanced the demands of his profession with the needs of his family and never let one overshadow the other,” Dominique said.