White Detroit police officer under investigation for racial slurs

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Detroit Police Department has taken action after a white officer was heard making a racial slur.

FOX 2 is told the two police officers who heard racial slurs work in the 2nd Precinct on the city's west side. The officer in question works on the east side.

DPD says Chief James Craig is aware of the situation and is not taking it lightly. A white officer is under investigation and transferred to another precinct -after allegedly using racial slurs in the hearing of officers.

Sources tell FOX 2 it happened a few weeks ago. A white officer from the second precinct was on a video call with the officer in question.

Sources said at some point in their conversation the officer said something to the effect of "I'm tired of these f***** n-words."

Also in that scout car was a black officer who overheard that conversation. He grabbed the phone and asked the white officer what he said---the officer allegedly replied, "You heard me" and then repeated the n-word four more times.

"The n-word is, that really is troubling that a person would not only use it but repeat it, make it clear of what he is trying to convey," said Willie Bell.

FOX 2 spoke with Willie Bell and Darryl Brown. Both sit on the board of police commissioners, DPD's civilian oversight body.

"I was very upset about hearing this kind of behavior is going on in the department," Brown said. "Especially during a time that's critical right now that the department, all of us are mourning one of our officers."

DPD says it's aware of the incident and is investigating it. The officer has been moved from the Ninth Precinct -- where he was working when he purportedly made the comments - to the Seventh. 

The alleged FaceTime conversation is the latest in a long line of racial incidents within the department.

The last one in which a white officer mocked a black woman after a traffic stop made national headlines and ended with two officers losing their jobs and DPD grappling with the fact there was racial strife in the precinct where the officers worked. 

"With the incident with the Instagram thing, the chief and the team, they did a total environmental investigation," Brown said. "And just like this incident, it's under investigation and I believe it will be another environmental thing, where we're looking at the environment: Who knows about it? Who partakes in it? Who participates in it? Is the supervision involved in it?"

FOX 2 is told the officer in question has about three years on the job. Commissioner bell who himself is a retired cop says he gives an hour and half lecture to every academy class about the history of Detroiters and policing, racism. 

He is almost certain the officer in question sat in on that lecture. 

Commissioner Brown says if the allegations are true this could be a violation of the department's policy that means the officer could be suspended or possibly fired.