Michael Sollenberger (left) and Thomas Flanders (right)
The Cleveland Division of Police is currently
embroiled in a scandal, regarding the shooting death of 12-year-old
black boy, Tamir Rice, who was playing with a toy gun in the park,
when officer, Timothy Loehmann, abruptly opened fire on the child.
Two days later, Rice died in the hospital of his injuries. Shortly
after, news of Loehmann's dismal personnel records surfaced,
indicating he was forced out of another police squad, due to serious
deficiencies in his performance as an officer and a troubled mental
state.
A new scandal has emerged, as text messages between
Cleveland police officers, Michael Sollenberge and Thomas
Flanders, were packed with racial slurs. One of the text messages
states, "I
hate ni*gers." Another text stated, "'What do apples and black
people have in common? They both hang from trees."
This comes at a time when the public (black, white,
Hispanic, Indian and Asian) are protesting flagrant cases of police
brutality and excessive force in America, in the fall out of the
Eric Garner killing in New York, at the hands of New York Police
Department officer, Daniel Pantaleo and Mike Brown's shooting death
by officer Darren Wilson.
It is clear some, not all police officers have
racial issues concerning minorities. People have the right to like
or dislike whomever they choose, even if it is based on race. However, when it starts to
interfere with your job as a public servant and you begin to treat
people differently based on their race, especially in a deadly manner, this is wholly
illegal and unethical. Something must be legally done within the
scope of the law to stop police brutality, which is unquestionably
on the rise in America, as evidenced by a number of high profile
cases (some of which were covered on the Judiciary Report
yesterday).
STORY SOURCE
'I hate N******. That is all': Police officers who were caught
'exchanging racist texts' placed on
administrative leave while full
investigation is carried out
Published: 11:41 EST, 4 December 2014 | Updated:
12:48 EST, 4 December 2014 - Five deputies with the Montgomery
County Sheriff's Office in Ohio are under investigation for
allegedly sending racist text messages. Two officers, Capt. Thomas
Flanders and Detective Michael Sollenberger, have been placed on
paid administrative leave while the other three – who are as yet
unnamed – remain on the job while the investigation continues.
The accusations came to light after an anonymous
source passed on hundreds of pages of the messages to the Dayton
Unit of the NAACP. The texts, which contain a barrage of racist
slurs and insensitive jokes aimed at African-Americans, were
exchanged between November 2011 and January 2013 on personal cell
phones.
After conducted a three-month-long investigation to
ensure their authenticity, Derrick Forward - the civil rights
organization’s local president - turned the messages over to Sheriff
Phil Plumber last week. The texts were exchanged between November
2011 and January 2013 on personal cell phones between the employees
during working hours.
They contain a barrage of racist slurs and
insensitive jokes aimed at African-Americans. One text said, 'I hate
N******. That is all.' One deputy 'joked' to another: 'What do
apples and black people have in common? They both hang from trees.'
Another read: 'We stopped at a Walmart in Birmingham, there are a
lot of Black people in Alabama. It's all Martin Luther Kings fault.'...
