An ongoing investigation into 17 police officers in Antioch, California revealed a series of new racist text messages, reported SFGATE on Friday.
"The new report by the DA’s office, first covered by the East Bay Times and obtained by SFGATE, outlines a pattern of racism and celebration of violence in messages sent by officers during and after the investigation and arrests of Terryon Pugh and Trent Allen, two Black men who were later charged with attempted murder," reported Alec Regimbal.
This comes after a previous report revealing other disturbing messages from the officers, including the celebration of violence against Black suspects and a mock offer to buy dinner for whoever would shoot the city's Black mayor with non-lethal bullets.
"The new report details texts that were sent in the lead-up to the arrests of Pugh and Allen, as well as messages sent after officers arrested the two men in a violent confrontation that put both Pugh and Allen in the hospital," said the report. "In the days before the arrest, for instance, officers were surveilling a group of Black people that included Pugh and Allen. At one point, Officer Eric Rombough wrote that group was 'getting ice cream' and 'swarming to it like Hennessy,' a type of liquor. He later wrote, 'I bet it’s chicken,' and Officer Jonathan Adams replied, 'Could be ribs.' Rombough then replied: 'For sure watermelon and kool aid.' Later in the exchange, Rombough said, 'I hate these idiots,' and Adams replied, 'the cops or the [N-words]?' Even later in the exchange, as it was getting dark outside, the officers said they needed to get the people they were surveilling to smile in order to see them, a reference to their dark skin."
Rombaugh also texted, “Bro I can’t wait to forty all of them,” a reference to his .40mm sponge bullet launcher which was used in the violent arrest. "In that same exchange, Rombough also brags about kicking Allen in the head during the arrest. 'We managed to set up a perimeter and he got his ass whooped in the back yard and I field goal kicked his head,' Rombough wrote. The unnamed person responded, 'I thought that was a no no.' Rombough replied, 'No we can do that just no chokes … I tried to knock him unconscious. And he got muzzle thumped 6 times before he gave us his hands.' Martinez, Allen’s attorney, told SFGATE he believed 'muzzle thumped' was a euphemism for pistol-whipping."
“The thing that I’m most disturbed about is that the adults in the room are behaving in that manner, which gives permission to all of their charges to do the same and worse,” said Martinez to SFGATE. “I want to know how far up the chain this whole thing goes, because it seems to me that this is not just rogue officers. This is a culture that’s being nurtured by the top, from the top.”
This is not the first time text messages betrayed an out-of-control police culture. Last year, slur-filled messages shared between police in Torrance, California revealed officers flippantly talking about killing Black people, including children. Two officers in that department were caught spray-painting a swastika inside of an impounded vehicle.
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