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| Newly released bigoted texts from San Francisco police call cases into question Newly released bigoted texts from San Francisco police call cases into question | |
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| Widening a scandal that has marred San Francisco’s reputation as one of America’s most liberal cities, the city’s public defender said Tuesday that a newly released series of text messages exchanged by three police officers in 2014 and 2015 will force city officials to take a second look at more than 200 criminal cases, including three murders. | Widening a scandal that has marred San Francisco’s reputation as one of America’s most liberal cities, the city’s public defender said Tuesday that a newly released series of text messages exchanged by three police officers in 2014 and 2015 will force city officials to take a second look at more than 200 criminal cases, including three murders. |
| In the more than 100 new text messages made public on Tuesday, one of the former officers, Jason Lai, repeatedly used racist, homophobic and transphobic slurs like “nigga”, “fag” and “tranny” to refer to San Francisco residents. He also makes offensive remarks about president Barack Obama and NBA player LeBron James. | In the more than 100 new text messages made public on Tuesday, one of the former officers, Jason Lai, repeatedly used racist, homophobic and transphobic slurs like “nigga”, “fag” and “tranny” to refer to San Francisco residents. He also makes offensive remarks about president Barack Obama and NBA player LeBron James. |
| “Do you know what Obama coffee is?” Lai wrote in an apparent joke. “Black and weak!” | “Do you know what Obama coffee is?” Lai wrote in an apparent joke. “Black and weak!” |
| In one message, Lai wrote: “Indian people are disgusting.” In another, he said of black people: “They are like a pack of animals on the loose.” | In one message, Lai wrote: “Indian people are disgusting.” In another, he said of black people: “They are like a pack of animals on the loose.” |
| In addition to Lai, two other officers, Curtis Liu and Keith Ybarreta, are also named in the scandal, which will now force officials to reevaluate the evidence presented in a total of 207 criminal cases, ranging from misdemeanor drug possession to murder. | In addition to Lai, two other officers, Curtis Liu and Keith Ybarreta, are also named in the scandal, which will now force officials to reevaluate the evidence presented in a total of 207 criminal cases, ranging from misdemeanor drug possession to murder. |
| The revelation of the contents of the text messages is just the latest blow for the embattled police department, which has faced ongoing protests since the fatal police shooting of Mario Woods last winter. | The revelation of the contents of the text messages is just the latest blow for the embattled police department, which has faced ongoing protests since the fatal police shooting of Mario Woods last winter. |
| Jeff Adachi, San Francisco’s public defender, made the announcement after the district attorney’s office sent him Lai’s text messages last Friday as part of the discovery process for a robbery case that Lai had been called to investigate. | Jeff Adachi, San Francisco’s public defender, made the announcement after the district attorney’s office sent him Lai’s text messages last Friday as part of the discovery process for a robbery case that Lai had been called to investigate. |
| “It would be naive to believe these officers’ bigotry was reserved solely for text messages,” Adachi said in a statement. “It is a window into the biases they harbored. It likely influenced who they stopped, who they searched, who they arrested, and how they testified in criminal trials.” | “It would be naive to believe these officers’ bigotry was reserved solely for text messages,” Adachi said in a statement. “It is a window into the biases they harbored. It likely influenced who they stopped, who they searched, who they arrested, and how they testified in criminal trials.” |
| He added: “It is chilling how casually former officer Lai dehumanizes the citizens he was sworn to serve. He wished violence upon the very people he was being paid to protect and none of his colleagues turned him in.” | He added: “It is chilling how casually former officer Lai dehumanizes the citizens he was sworn to serve. He wished violence upon the very people he was being paid to protect and none of his colleagues turned him in.” |
| Tamara Barak Aparton, a spokeswoman for Adachi, said Tuesday, “The next step for us is to review all of these cases and contact the clients and attorneys that handled them.” | Tamara Barak Aparton, a spokeswoman for Adachi, said Tuesday, “The next step for us is to review all of these cases and contact the clients and attorneys that handled them.” |
| She also hopes to put pressure on the district attorney’s office to release the text messages for the other two named officers because “now their convictions and current cases are suspect”. But given the gravity and widespread nature of the problem, even the district attorney admits that “fundamental change” is necessary to keep bigoted officers off the force. | She also hopes to put pressure on the district attorney’s office to release the text messages for the other two named officers because “now their convictions and current cases are suspect”. But given the gravity and widespread nature of the problem, even the district attorney admits that “fundamental change” is necessary to keep bigoted officers off the force. |
| “The majority of our officers serve with distinction, but far too many officers have demonstrated racist and homophobic views to suggest these are isolated incidents rather than indicative of a larger cultural problem,” district attorney George Gascón said in an e-mail. | “The majority of our officers serve with distinction, but far too many officers have demonstrated racist and homophobic views to suggest these are isolated incidents rather than indicative of a larger cultural problem,” district attorney George Gascón said in an e-mail. |
| Martin Halloran, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said in a statement: “These racist text messages turn my stomach. The officers involved in this have disgraced our profession and they must be held accountable. Our union celebrates representing the most diverse body of police officers in the nation. These individuals have no place in our ranks.” | Martin Halloran, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said in a statement: “These racist text messages turn my stomach. The officers involved in this have disgraced our profession and they must be held accountable. Our union celebrates representing the most diverse body of police officers in the nation. These individuals have no place in our ranks.” |
| Thousands of text messages are being reviewed by Gascón’s office in both texting scandals. The messages released Tuesday were initially discovered during a rape inquiry into Lai. Though no rape charges were filed in the case, Lai was eventually charged last month with two misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of criminal history information and four misdemeanor counts of misuse of confidential department of motor vehicles information. He is free on bail. | Thousands of text messages are being reviewed by Gascón’s office in both texting scandals. The messages released Tuesday were initially discovered during a rape inquiry into Lai. Though no rape charges were filed in the case, Lai was eventually charged last month with two misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of criminal history information and four misdemeanor counts of misuse of confidential department of motor vehicles information. He is free on bail. |
| This case is the second text message scandal to hit the San Francisco police department in just the past few years. A previous one involving 14 officers sending bigoted messages in 2011 and 2012 was revealed in court filings for a federal corruption trial. | This case is the second text message scandal to hit the San Francisco police department in just the past few years. A previous one involving 14 officers sending bigoted messages in 2011 and 2012 was revealed in court filings for a federal corruption trial. |
| The US Department of Justice is reviewing, at the request of the city’s police chief and mayor, the police department’s use of force policies and potential racial bias. But the non-binding process is not enough for many public officials, who have called on the DoJ’s civil rights division to carry out an inquiry similar to those seen in Ferguson and Cleveland. | The US Department of Justice is reviewing, at the request of the city’s police chief and mayor, the police department’s use of force policies and potential racial bias. But the non-binding process is not enough for many public officials, who have called on the DoJ’s civil rights division to carry out an inquiry similar to those seen in Ferguson and Cleveland. |
| Sgt Yulanda Williams, a 26-year veteran of the SFPD who said she knew some of the officers involved, expressed exasperation over the contents of the newly released text messages. | Sgt Yulanda Williams, a 26-year veteran of the SFPD who said she knew some of the officers involved, expressed exasperation over the contents of the newly released text messages. |
| “These are examples of institutional racism,” said Williams, who also leads Officers for Justice, an advocacy group for ethnic minority and LGBT officers. She added that she believed officers were afraid to report conduct like Lai’s because of fear of attack by other officers and by the police union. | “These are examples of institutional racism,” said Williams, who also leads Officers for Justice, an advocacy group for ethnic minority and LGBT officers. She added that she believed officers were afraid to report conduct like Lai’s because of fear of attack by other officers and by the police union. |
| “This type of conduct by someone who is wearing a uniform of authority leaves a stain on those of us who really want to do things the right way,” she said. | “This type of conduct by someone who is wearing a uniform of authority leaves a stain on those of us who really want to do things the right way,” she said. |
| “It’s time for officers to speak up when their colleagues exhibit this kind of bigotry,” Adachi said. “It is corroding community trust and making it harder for good officers to do their jobs.” | “It’s time for officers to speak up when their colleagues exhibit this kind of bigotry,” Adachi said. “It is corroding community trust and making it harder for good officers to do their jobs.” |
| A request for comment from Lai’s attorney, Don Nobles, was not immediately answered. | A request for comment from Lai’s attorney, Don Nobles, was not immediately answered. |
| Julia Carrie Wong contributed to this report. | Julia Carrie Wong contributed to this report. |