B.R. cop who sent racist texts allowed to retire
20th October 2014 · 0 Comments
The Baton Rouge police officer who resigned after referring to Blacks as “monkeys” in racist text messages in September was still allowed by the Baton Rouge Police Department to say he retired rather than resigned while being investigated by the department — a maneuver that raised the ire of several members of the Baton Rouge Metro Council, who say the officer should not have been rewarded after committing such an offensive act.
The matter was discussed at a heated council meeting earlier this month during which several council members said the department should have fired former Officer Michael Elsbury rather than allow him to retire, The Advocate reported.
Elsbury, who patrolled Southern University-BR, a historically Black institution, resigned in September after the BRPD learned of his racist texts, one of which referred to Blacks as “monkeys.”
“I wish someone would pull a Ferguson on them and take them out. I hate looking at those African monkeys at work,” he said in one text. “ I enjoy arresting those thugs with their saggy pants.” In another text, Elsbury said, “They are nothing but a bunch of monkeys.”
After submitting his letter of resignation, Elsbury was allowed to change it to say he retired.
Council members asked the police chief why Elsbury was allowed to resign rather than fired immediately. They said Elsbury should have been penalized with the stigma associated with being terminated.
“I don’t think he should be in a position to negotiate at all,” Wicker said.
Dabadie told the council that allowing Elsbury to resign was the fastest way to remove him from the department and the best way to avoid a lengthy appeals process.
Elsbury, a 14-year veteran with the department, is vested with the retirement system and will be eligible to collect a pension when he turns 55.
Kathy Bourque, director of the Municipal Police Employees Retirement System, told the council that regardless of whether Elsbury resigned, retired or was terminated, he is still eligible to receive his retirement benefits. She noted that even convicted criminals who are vested into the retirement system are eligible for their pension.
“We send benefit checks to prison,” Bourque said.
Civil rights leaders have asked for an investigation of the Baton Rouge Police Department and its interaction with the Black community.
Residents told the council that Elsbury’s text messages have divided the city along racial lines and led to Black distrust of police officers.
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden defended the police department but said, “We abhor the language used by that officer.”
“These officers aren’t out here trying to kill every Black person, that’s nonsense,” Holden said. “Every police officer is not a crook. Are mistakes made? Yes. But we all make mistakes.”
The BRPD says that it will ask the council for funding for 400 police body cameras
Councilman Buddy Amoroso noted the cameras would protect the police officers from false claims of excessive force.
“Anytime you have a ‘he said, she said, they said’ situation, there’s one version of the truth, another version of the truth, and then somewhere in the middle the truth lies,” Amoroso said. “Cameras would document exactly what goes on.”
This article originally published in the October 20, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
