All current and future police officers should take note of former Cobb County police officer Greg Abbott, as an example of what not to do. Abbott caught some serious heat – and rightfully so – after a dash cam video surfaced of him telling a woman “We only kill black people.”
The incident happened during a July DUI stop last year, when Abbott asked the woman that he had pulled over to grab her cell phone. The woman said she was too nervous to move her hands because “I’ve seen way too many videos of cops…”
At that point, the 28-year police veteran interrupted her, saying:
“But you’re not black,” the video shows Abbot saying. “Remember, we only kill black people. Yeah, we only kill black people, right? All of the videos you’ve seen, have you seen white people get killed?”
Lance LoRusso, Abbott’s attorney, said the context of what Abbot said has been misconstrued. “He was attempting to de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger,” LoRusso told The Washington Post. “In context, his comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger’s own statements and reasoning to avoid making an arrest.”
Even if that were the case, it was a grave mistake that police departments don’t take lightly, considering the heightened tension between many police departments and minority communities. Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register made no excuses for the officer who he considered an “honorable man”, but was adamant about the department not tolerating Abbott’s language.
“No matter what the context, statements like these are unacceptable and are not indicative of the type of culture we are trying to facilitate here in the police department, as well as within the county,” Register said during a press conference.
Suri Chadha Jimenez, an attorney who represented the woman that was pulled over, said he “cringed” watching the video, adding that it’s the sort of behavior that fosters distrust of the police in minorities. “The reality is, to us minorities, there is a real fear when you’re pulled over,” commented Jimenez. “He thought it was a joke, but it’s not a joke to many people.”
It’s the type of behavior that Cobb County Police does not tolerate, and the police force has made a stern example of the officer. Abbott announced this week his intent to retire after being informed by his superiors that he would be fired otherwise. “I don’t know what is in his heart, but I know what came out of his mouth,” said Register.