Several officers with the San Francisco Police Department are under fire for their involvement sending a series of racist and homophobic text messages. One of the four officers initially implicated has resigned, and ten other cops were placed under review by the department's internal affairs division.
Fallout From SFPD Racist Texts: Officer Resigns Amid Scandal
Former sergeant Ian Furminger and four other officers reportedly exchanged the text messages, denigrated minorities and gays, between 2011 and 2012. Last week, the U.S. Attorney's office, released the messages as part of a motion to deny bail to Furminger, who was recently convicted on federal corruption charges.
Here is sampling of some of the text sent between the officers, containing various disparaging references to Blacks, Latinos, Filipinos and gay people:
"We got two blacks at my boys [sic] school and they are brother and sister! There cause dad works for the school district and I am watching them like hawks."
In response to a text asking "Do you celebrate quanza [sic] at your school?" Furminger wrote: "Yeah we burn the cross on the field! Then we celebrate Whitemas."
"Its [sic] worth every penny to live here [Walnut Creek] away from the savages."
"Those guys are pretty stupid! Ask some dumb ass questions you would expect from a black rookie! Sorry if they are your buddies!"
"The buffalo soldier was why the Indians Wouldnt [sic] shoot the niggers that found for the confederate They [sic] thought they were sacred buffalo and not human."
"Gunther Furminger was a famous slave auctioneer."
"My wife has 2 friends over that don't know each other the cool one says to me get me a drink nigger not knowing the other is married to one just happened right now LMFAO."
"White power."
In response to a text saying "Niggers should be spayed," Furminger wrote "I saw one an hour ago with 4 kids."
"I am leaving it like it is, painting KKK on the sides and calling it a day!"
"Cross burning lowers blood pressure! I did the test myself!"
In response to a text saying "All niggers must fucking hang," Furminger wrote "Ask my 6 year old what he thinks about Obama."
In response to a text saying "Just boarded train at Mission/16th," Furminger wrote "Ok, just watch out for BM's" [black males].
"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 friend, an SFPD officer, 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 responded, "Well said!"
In response to a text from another SFPD officer regarding the promotion of a black officer to sergeant, Furminger wrote: "Fuckin nigger."
The messages initially implicated officers Michael Celis, Rain Daugherty and Noel Schwab have all been placed on desk duty for the course of the internal investigation. Michael Robison, a 23 year veteran of the SFPD, resigned on Wednesday. According to a department spokesman, ten additional officers caught up in the probe are no longer under investigation.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the local ABC affiliate, Furminger insisted that he is not racist, telling the station, "My best friends and closest friends are all black, gay, Chinese or Asian, and Hispanic. That's who I socialize with. That's who I spend my time with." Dude, nice try the "my best friends are..."
More here: The Horrible, Bigoted Texts Traded Among San Francisco Police Officers