FBI Looking Into Florida Cops Tied To Racist Video Depiction Of Obama

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

The FBI has begun looking into the case of four Florida police officers who were accused of exchanging text messages and a video containing racist slurs and violent imagery, the Sun Sentinel newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department fired three officers -- James Wells, Jason Holding, and Christopher Sousa -- for allegedly sending text messages to one another that included racially charged words like "nigger," the Broward Palm Beach New Times reported last week. Another officer, Alex Alvarez, resigned from the force in January before the police department completed the investigation, according to the newspaper.

The department's investigation found officers allegedly talked about "killing niggers" and shared text messages using the phrases including "nigger lover," "retarded brown," and "faggot," according to the New Times.

The officers also allegedly shared a video, which the New Times reported had been created by Alvarez.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/fort-lauderdale-police-racist-messages

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Picture at the link to TPM. Folks might find the picture really offensive, as do I.

[darkangel218]

1. The (ex now) fiance of one of them turned them in.

Good for her, hopefully they will rot in jail.

[OKNancy]

5. the article states that they did nothing illegal

but it was unethical, etc. THey got fired, but that will probably be the end of it.

[darkangel218]

6. Didnt the aeticle say the FBI is looking into it?

We don't know the full consequences yet.

[jtuck004]

8. Actually we probably do, but many are dead, in jail, and have had their lives ruined. As far as the

cops, I personally don't care what happens to them, because there will be no consequences that even approach the harm they have done.

[geek tragedy]

10. The hundreds of people convicted due to evidence handled by these guys, or based

on their testimony at court, would probably disagree that this is the end of it.

[heaven05]

2. gunshine state, again

that they were 'peace officers'? Doesn't surprise me in the least. Extremely disturbing to me that hateful klan members are still able to hide behind a uniform and badge. Been like this in the deep south for generations. They'll all get jobs, as 'peace officers' somewhere else. I figure they have many cities that will accept them into a position of 'peace officer(s)'.

[geek tragedy]

3. Future "free speech" martyrs

Every black person convicted according to their testimony should seek to vacate the conviction

[movonne]

4. I think that all police dept's should be looked into..none of us are safe

from the police...

[d_legendary1]

7. Not too long ago some police Florida cops were using mug shots of black people for targets

The North Miami Beach police department was discovered last month to be using mug shots of African Americans for sniper practice at a firing range.

NBC News Channel 6 in Miami broke the story Thursday, after hearing from a member of the Florida Army National Guard who showed up with her unit for weapons qualification at the same commercial firing range used by the police and discovered the targets left behind, an array of six African Americans.

North Miami Police Chief J. Scott Dennis, while conceding that his department “could have used better judgment,” denied any racial profiling. He said the department uses pictures of people of all races for target practice.

But the day National Guard Sgt. Valerie Deant showed up, she saw only African Americans. And what really upset her was that among the mug shots riddled with bullet holes was one of her own brother, who had been arrested 15 years earlier in connection with a drag racing incident that resulted in two deaths.

“I was like why is my brother being used for target practice?” Deant told the TV station. She called her brother, Woody Deant, who said he was “speechless….The picture actually has like bullet holes,” Woody Deant said. “One in my forehead and one in my eye.”

“Now I’m being used as a target?” he told the station. Woody Deant served four years in prison and said “I’m not even living that life according to how they portrayed me as. I’m a father. I’m a husband. I’m a career man. I work 9-to-5.”

The station quoted Dennis saying that the sniper team includes minority officers, and that the practice was important for facial recognition drills.

“Our policies were not violated,” Chief Dennis told the station. “There is no discipline forthcoming from the individuals regarding this….We utilize an array of pictures…We have an array for black males. We have an array for white and Hispanic males.”


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/16/florida-police-department-caught-using-african-american-mug-shots-for-target-practice/

[IHateTheGOP]

9. Cops cops cops

It would seem that one of the most immature segments of our society now appears to be policemen. That is a sad situation. America is not at all what Americans like to believe it is. If we cannot find a way to rid ourselves of bigots, racists, hate mongering, and fixed news we are doomed.