Robert Copeland didn’t help dispel the law enforcement racism stereotypes when he resigned after being overheard calling the commander-in-chief a racial slur.
The 82-year-old Wolfeboro, New Hampshire police commissioner stepped down from his position this past Sunday from incident in March when he called President Obama the n-word during a conversation in a restaurant.
Reports the AP:
Copeland admitted using the slur, preceded by an obscenity, while he was at a restaurant in March. A resident, Jane O’Toole, overheard him and complained to town officials when she learned that Copeland was a police commissioner.
“I believe I did use the ‘N’ word in reference to the current occupant of the Whitehouse,” Copeland wrote in the April email sent to the two other commissioners and forwarded to O’Toole. “For this, I do not apologize — he meets and exceeds my criteria for such.”
That defiance did not sit well with many in the town.
“I thought it was disgusting, and the way he justified it, it was even more disgusting,” said Ernie Bauer, a 64-year-old carpenter. “It was disgusting 50 years ago.”
Town officials also said they were appalled by Copeland’s comments but said they were powerless to remove an elected official.
Jamie Murray said she wasn’t surprised to hear racist comments since her biracial son has also faced taunts.
During the town hall meeting where his removal from his position was demanded by the community, Copeland sat nonchalantly and listened to all the complaints without saying a word.
Watch the video of the encounter below. Maybe he can become golfing buddies with Donald Sterling?
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Photo: YouTube
