CPD officer accused of racist remarks

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CINCINNATI A white police officer is being investigated by the Cincinnati Police Department after the officer allegedly made a racist comment to a black officer while on duty.

According to a statement from the Cincinnati NAACP earlier in the week, a black officer previously assigned to clerical duties was cleared to resume patrols.

“So Master let you back in the field today,” said a white officer, according to the NAACP.

The Cincinnati NAACP said it demanded accountability for the officer who made the comment, calling on CPD leaders to discipline him.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge wrote in a statement that she was aware of the allegations.

“Immediately when this allegation was brought to my attention, I ordered an investigation to be conducted by our Internal Investigations Section,” read Theetge’s statement.

The officer accused of making the comment has been placed on clerk duty while the investigation continues, Theetge said.

The Cincinnati NAACP called the alleged comment “insensitive, hurtful and racist”, later adding that the language used was “abhorrent and unacceptable”. The NAACP said the comment is evidence that continued racial-sensitivity education is needed within the department.

Dan Hils, president of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police, said the officer accused of making the statement was trying to make a joke about the two officers’ common boss, not a joke “about the serious subject of slavery”.

Hils said the statement made was “I see the master has you back in the field with us.”

Shortly after the comment was made, Hils said the accused officer sought out the black officer “to assure his colleague that he meant no offense to his hastily chosen words.”

The Sentinel Police Association, a group that works to address “issues of racism, promotions and disciplinary action regarding African-American officers in Cincinnati,” according to their Facebook page, called the comment a “verbal slap in the face” that has made its way into the department.

“Words and actions matter when it comes to improving cultural perceptions of patterns and practices of racial insensitivity within the walls of CPD,” reads a statement from Danita Pettis, president of the Sentinal Police Association. “As such, Sentinel’s position is that nothing less than a full and thorough investigation of this latest incident, followed by immediate and appropriate disciplinary action, will truly reflect CPD’s commitment to an improved culture.”

WCPO is not naming the accused officer pending the outcome of the investigation.

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