No One Took Us Seriously : For Years, Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers
Allegations of racism against the Capitol Police are not new. Over 250 Black cops have sued the department since 2001. Some of those former officers now say itâs no surprise white nationalists were able to storm the building.
A heavy police force is evident at the Senate door after supporters of President Donald Trump breeched security at the U.S. Capitol, rioting through the Senate and House and disrupting the certification of President-elect Joe Biden, in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2021. Photo: Reuters/Mike Theiler
World15/Jan/2021
Hundreds of Black U.S. Capitol officers alleged racism in lawsuits years before riot
Since 2001, 250 Black officers in the law enforcement agency filed lawsuits alleging racist behavior and language from their colleagues
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Black U.S. Capitol police officers have been vocal about racism in their department for years and recent events have put a spotlight on the institutional problem.
As
theGrio reported, two U.S. Capitol police officers were suspended for their actions during the attempted insurrection. While Black officers were being taunted by rioters, some of their non-Black colleagues were engaging with trespassers and leading the way. Democratic Rep.
“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years ProPublica 1/14/2021
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When Kim Dine took over as the new chief of the U.S. Capitol Police in 2012, he knew he had a serious problem.
Since 2001, hundreds of Black officers had sued the department for racial discrimination. They alleged that white officers called Black colleagues slurs like the N-word and that one officer found a hangman’s noose on his locker. White officers were called “huk lovers” or “FOGs” short for “friends of gangsters” if they were friendly with their Black colleagues. Black officers faced “unprovoked traffic stops” from fellow Capitol Police officers. One Black officer claimed he heard a colleague say, “Obama monkey, go back to Africa.”
Allegations of racism against the Capitol Police are nothing new: Over 250 Black cops have sued the department since 2001. Some of those former officers now say it’s no surprise white nationalists were able to storm the building.
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