A Black police officer in Florida was fired this week after footage out of his body camera showed him with the n-word through a private phone call and while creating an arrest last November.
Delvin White, an eight-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department, was a school resource officer in Middleton High School in Tampa. He was fired Tuesday for violating a city policy which prohibits discriminatory conduct, as demonstrated by a announcement from the city.
He first uses the word while talking to himself, according to the footage. A couple of minutes after, White makes a personal phone to a girl, and both begin discussing dinner plans prior to referring to the gaps in their tasks.
“Every day that I go to work and not one child gets shot or stabbed, so I’ve done my job. And that’s a great deal of responsibility. You do not have all that responsibility,” White says, explaining another individual’s job before talking about his own.
You manage a multimillion-dollar property,” he states. “Or… a few ghetto n–er do not get stabbed or shot, I don’t understand. But to they mama, however , they value a million bucks.”
Through an investigation, White advised his supervisor that he employed the n-word while making an arrest for trespassing on November 30, according to the town’s statement. Police also released bodycam footage of that arrest.
“Derogatory statements made by police officials sabotage the confidence that our division functions to establish together with our community”, said Chief Brian Dugan from the city’s announcement. “Tampa Police officials are held to a higher standard and incidents like this negatively impact the whole law enforcement profession”
Following the investigation, White was terminated on Tuesday for violating city policy which prohibits discriminatory conduct which is”grounds for instant dismissal from the absence of extenuating circumstances,” according to a statement from the section.
CNN achieved to White for comment but has been called the Tampa Police Benevolent Association, which says it’ll be filing a formal grievance to get White reinstated. In a statement, authorities union spokesperson Danny Alvarez said the union supports the town’s attempts to fight racism, but White’s situation doesn’t warrant the punishment he’s received. “Despite his misstep, during the investigation, private citizens and other people associated with his school contacted the Chief of Police lending their support and reflecting their admiration for his contributions and character.”
