Wisconsin KKK Dog Walker Was 'Waving At Traffic, Drinking Beer'

VILAS COUNTY, WI — A dog walker wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit has drawn the attention of Sheriff's officials in Vilas County after a bystander saw him drinking a beer and waving at traffic, authorities said.

The bystander took a photo of the man and shared it on Facebook. Sheriff's officials later confirmed that the photo was authentic. The photo depicts the man, later identified by Sheriff's officials as 50-year-old Charles Booth, walking down the shoulder of the County Highway C in Vilas County wearing a head-to-toe KKK-style robe and head covering as he walked his dog Friday evening.

The photo, which can be seen here, shows the leashed dog resting at the owner's feet. "Hey Vilas County folks. A friend took this photo near the Lakota boat landing off of Highway K in Conover. Be careful," a Facebook poster wrote, noting that the person who took the photo wished to remain anonymous.

Vilas County Sheriff Joseph Fath said the Sheriff's office received three calls about the man, later identified in a media release as Charles Booth of Conover. Fath initially told a local television station that the incident, while offensive to some, "should not have bothered anybody."

"He was walking down Highway K, which is about two to three miles out of Conover," Fath said in a News Watch 12 report. "It's a country road. It's not in anybody's particular neighborhood. It should not have bothered anybody. I realize that may be offensive to some people, but it's not a crime."

Hours after his initial statement, the sheriff issued a stern rebuke of the dog walker.

"The KKK beliefs run contrary to Vilas County Law Enforcement's mission, values and beliefs," Fath wrote in the statement. "This incident certainly is not supported by the people of Conover or the rest of Vilas County.

Sheriff's officials said they're going to "be vigilant and continue to monitor this man's actions."