Black police chief say she was forced to resign after trying to rid the department of systematic racism

Former Portsmouth, Virginia  Police Chief Tonya Chapman claimed she was forced to resign after attempts to eradicate systematic racism within the department.

"Having been a member of two other law enforcement agencies, I have never witnessed the degree of bias and acts of systemic racism, discriminatory practices and abuse of authority in all of my almost 30-year career in law enforcement and public safety," Chapman wrote in a statement.

She explained that because of racial tensions between police and the community that she knew trying to change the behavior and relationships would be challenging, but that she was up to the job.

"Some quite frankly did not like taking direction from an African American female," she wrote, "Some politically connected individuals that never had confidence in me in the first place."

She served in her position for three years.

"She wrote that City Manager Lydia Pettis Patton asked for her resignation and said if she did not sign a pre-written letter of resignation, she would terminate her. She said she was offered two months pay," according to a report from Virginian-Pilot News.

"Pettis Patton declined to discuss Chapman's departure Monday, saying it was a 'personnel matter.'" the report said.