‘Racist, homophobic’: 4 San Francisco cops face probe over shocking text messages
As racial tensions between minority groups and police continue to flare across the country, four San Francisco police officers risk being removed from the force for sending and receiving bigoted and racist text messages.
The graphic text messages surfaced in the course of a federal case against former SFPD Sgt. Ian Furminger, who was attempting to appeal a 40-month prison sentence in federal court on corruption charges. Federal prosecutors presented the text messages, which were written in 2011 and 2012, in an effort to block Furminger’s appeals claim.
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The text messages are particularly disturbing, especially in
light of the increasing frequency of African Americans suffering
abuse and even death at the hands of white police officers, a
social issue highlighted by the shooting death of black teenager
Michael Brown by white Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri last
year.
Here are just a few of the messages that were reportedly sent
between Furminger and his colleagues, whom local media has
identified as Michael Robison, Noel Schwab, Rain Daugherty and
Michael Celis.
“I hate to tell you this but my wife friend [sic] is over
with their kids and her husband is black! If [sic] is an Attorney
but should I be worried?” Furminger’s former colleague
responded: “Get ur pocket gun. Keep it available in case the
monkey returns to his roots. Its [sic] not against the law to put
an animal down.” Furminger shot back, “Well said!”
San Francisco cops caught exchanging unbelievably racist text messages http://t.co/PN7qr21UOJpic.twitter.com/HqlYYs3euh
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 15, 2015
In response to a message from another SFPD police officer
regarding the promotion of a black officer to sergeant, Furminger
wrote: “Fuckin n*****.”
He also signed off on one of the messages with: “White power
family.”
A message dated April 18, 2012 reads: "20,000 bees are in
Vacaville near school, but they are not dangerous like black
people."
Such sentiments on the part of some of the SFPD’s officers, whom, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, have each worked on the force for more than 10 years, appear to be a contributing factor in the rise of police action against minority groups.
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However, the lawyer for Noel Schwab, 49, who was recently
transferred from Central Division after he was identified as
having exchanged communications with Furminger, attempted to play
down the severity of the comments.
Schwab’s attorney, Julia Fox, said Sunday that Schwab “did
not intend to malign anyone, generally or specifically,” the
San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“While the alleged comments were certainly bad taste, and
wholly unacceptable, they were intended for a specific recipient
and were not indicative of any animus that Officer Schwab has
toward any group or class.”
Although African Americans comprise just 6 percent of San
Francisco’s population, they are about seven times more likely to
be arrested than whites, who constitute 41.8 percent of the
city’s demographic, according to The Bay Citizen, quoting
statistics from the California Department of Justice.
According to the Department of Justice report, 8,198 African
Americans and 9,151 whites were arrested in San Francisco in
2010, along with 316 Hispanic adults and nine Hispanic juveniles.
In addition to the high-profile shooting death of Michael Brown,
there have been a number of disturbing cases of African Americans
being killed by white officers.
Last year, Eric Garner, an unarmed black man accused of illegally
selling cigarettes on the street in New York City, died after
being placed in an illegal choke hold by a police officer.
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Earlier this month, Tony Robinson, 19, was shot dead by a police
officer in Madison, Wisconsin, sparking a march of over 1,000 people who rallied around a
message being heard around the country: “Black Lives Matter.”
San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr on Saturday had harsh words
for those responsible for writing the racially charged messages.
“It makes me sick to my stomach to even have these guys around,”
he said.
Suhr said he will seek “nothing short of terminating
officers” who took part in sending the incriminating text
messages, according to ABC7 News,
