Update: Homeowner responds to upside-down flag controversy

The man at the center of a neighborhood flag dispute says he wants to set the record straight.

Felix Gonzales says he hung an American flag upside-down outside his house in the Antelope Ridge neighborhood not to offend anyone or to disrespect the flag, but to take a stand against the racism he says he feels in his neighborhood.

“I didn’t want to disrespect this country because I don’t think I did. It was a matter of freedom of speech,” Gonzales told KRDO NewsChannel 13. “It was that we are in distress in this community. It’s that we constantly get harassed in this community.”

Gonzales said he has felt targeted by his neighborhood’s management company and some of his neighbors because he’s Hispanic. Gonzales lives at the home with his wife. He says their children and grandchildren visit often and have felt discrimination as well.

“My daughters shouldn’t have to be bothered by people asking how many kids we have living in this house. It’s none of their business,” Gonzales said. “But if they want to know, come ask, knock on my door, be my neighbor, I’ll tell you. I’ll show you pictures of my family. You want to know about my family? Come visit.”

Earlier this week, Rocky Rickard, an Army veteran, seized Gonzales’ flag after he saw it displayed upside down beside a Mexican flag.

Rickard said the sight offended him.

“I lost a lot of friends fighting for this country,” he said. “I spent eight years in the Army and just found (the upside-down flag) really disrespectful.”

Rickard said he tried to talk to Gonzales, who wasn’t at home, so he took the flag down and kept it.

“I left him a note indicating that he’s more than welcome to come by any time to pick it up,” Rickard said. “I didn’t steal it. I simply want it hung the proper way.”

Rickard said Gonzales never responded but contacted the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, who sent two deputies Saturday to Rickard’s home.

“They were sympathetic and understanding,” Rickard said. “But they told me it was trespassing and theft or vandalism.”

Rickard said the deputies did not cite him for any of the violations.

“I’ve lived here two years and I don’t know the neighbor but I’ve waved at him in passing before,” Rickard said.

After the visit from deputies, Rickard went to a store and spent $500 on 750 flags of various sizes. He and his two sons gave away the flags in the neighborhood.

Gonzales said he apologizes if the sight offended any military members because that was not his intention.

“We have people that died for that flag, but the same people who died for that flag gave me the right to fly it upside-down,” Gonzales said.