A former assistant Kentucky police chief, being investigated for improperly accessing a crime database, instructed subordinates to “shoot black people” for smoking marijuana.
WBAL News Radio 1090 reports that authorities were investigating ex-Assistant Police Chief Todd Shaw for allegedly attempting to assist another officer by improperly accessing the National Crime Center Database. During the course of that investigation, Facebook messages displaying a clear anti-black bias were discovered.
In the Facebook messages, Shaw and the recruit discussed a scenario for the recruit’s training in which he had to write a paper on the “right thing to do” if he were to come across three juveniles who were smoking marijuana, O’Connell wrote. The recruit appears to have come to Shaw for advice, telling him, “I’m so confused about this paper,” in the message, dated Oct. 5, 2016.
“F— the right thing,” Shaw allegedly wrote. “If black shoot them.”
Shaw allegedly made other “racially threatening statements,” which included instructions on “how to handle the juveniles’ parents,” according to the letter.
“…if mom is hot then f— her,” Shaw allegedly wrote. “…if dad is hot then handcuff him and make him s— my d—.”
Shaw allegedly continued, “Unless daddy is black…Then shoot him…”
In another alleged message, dated Sept. 24, 2016, the recruit told Shaw that he didn’t think he will be the class leader in his recruit class because a former corrections officer was in the class. Shaw then allegedly told that recruit that he was required to sign a form saying he “wasn’t racist or associated with racists or associated with racist or hate groups per some KY law.”
The report goes on to say that Shaw referred to an area named in honor of an African-American educator was someplace where he could get “target practice.”
Shaw also allegedly wrote on March 6, 2017 that he needed “target practice” when referring to the “revitalized Russell neighborhood,” named after African-American educator and Kentucky native Harvey Clarence Russell.
Currently, Shaw has not been charged with a crime connected to the FB messages.