Fort Lauderdale Police Officers Fired for Racist Texts, Video
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 21 (UPI) — Three South Florida police officers were fired and a fourth resigned over the exchange of a “racially biased” video and messages, according to officials.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department announced Friday the termination of Chris Sousa, James Wells and Jason Holding, as well as the resignation of Alex Alvarez.
A five-month internal affairs investigation found the officers had exchanged text messages using racially offensive terms in reference to African-American citizens encountered in the line of duty, as well as critical comments about the grammar, appearance and work ethic of black co-workers.
The investigation began when Alvarez’s ex-fiance came forward with evidence. Dozens of pages of messages revealed texts advocating violence toward African-Americans, while others featured “derogatory comments towards Hispanics and homosexuals,” the report says.
According to investigators Alvarez created a mock video trailer called “The Hoods,” which featured images of a Ku Klux Klan hood and President Barack Obama with large gold teeth.
[one_fourth]
[/one_fourth][three_fourth_
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley said the officers worked in a predominantly African-American community.
last]
“The officers were terminated due to a sustained department misconduct,” Adderley said, according to the Miami Herald. “There is zero tolerance for this type of behavior within the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. All of the officers were immediately removed from having any contact with the public.”
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler said he was “very disappointed, disgusted and shocked” by the exchanges.
“The inappropriate racist behavior exhibited by those involved is unacceptable and reprehensible, it violates the trust we place in our law enforcement officers, it damages the bond we have established in our community and undermines the standards in which each and every city employee is held accountable,” Seiler said at a news conference.
The Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement Friday that it “is a multicultural organization which does not tolerate racism,” but added that “Everyone is entitled to due process and these officers have the right to a fair review of the facts.”
In January police snipers in neighboring Miami were found to have used mugshots of real black men from the area as targets in a shooting range. North Miami Beach Police Chief J. Scott Dennis said his officers should have used better judgement but denied racial profiling had occurred.
