Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
4 San Jose Officers on Leave Amid Probe of Racist Posts
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
June 29, 2020

Share

SAN JOSE — Four police officers in Northern California have been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate a Facebook group in which members made bigoted and anti-Muslim comments.
The Facebook posts linked to a group of retired and active San Jose police officers were revealed Friday in an article posted on Medium.com, leading to swift condemnations by the police union, local officials and civil rights advocates, the East Bay Times reported.
The article, by an unnamed blogger who said they were the partner of a law enforcement officer in the San Francisco Bay Area, showed screen shots of what appears to be Facebook posts in which a member of the group called Black Lives Matter activists “domestic enemies.” The writer sought anonymity, citing a concern for his or her safety.
The article gave another example in which members of the Facebook group commented about a Muslim woman whose hijab was pulled off by a sheriff’s deputy in Ventura County. One suggested pulling the hijab over the woman’s face, and another suggested using hijabs as nooses.

Police Chief Eddie Garcia Said He Asked the FBI to Assist in the Investigation

Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area, said that sort of Islamophobic sentiment is concerning no matter who writes it, and is “even more terrifying” coming from police officers.
“How are we supposed to be able to call on these officers to protect our community when this is what they say when they feel as though they are around their peers?” Billoo said. “I worry that this is not just a few bad officers and this is not just a few bad posts. I’m concerned that other officers knew about these posts and looked the other way.”
San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said he asked the FBI to assist in the investigation. The city’s mayor, Sam Liccardo, said he expected any officer who made “racist, anti-Muslim or menacing comments” to be fired.
Liccardo expressed frustration that a white officer who was fired in 2016 for tweets criticizing Black Lives Matter demonstrations returned to the job after an independent arbitrator reversed the termination and forced the department to reinstate the officer.
“I will push for changes to a disciplinary process that allows unaccountable arbitrators to reverse termination decisions of the chief, and I will further push for independent investigation of all racially discriminatory conduct,” he said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Do Americans Support Trump’s Use of Marines in LA? The Numbers Might Shock You

Clovis Councilmember Basgall Says He Won’t Run for Re-Election

14 hours ago

An Unknowing Fresno County Gave Community Medical $2.7M While Hospital Engaged in Kickback Scheme

15 hours ago

Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill to Ban Teaching Antisemitism in Arizona’s Public Schools

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a proposal that would ban teaching antisemitism at the state’s public K-12 schools, universiti...

12 hours ago

Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, center, applauds for those affected by the Los Angeles area wildfires as she gives the State of the State address in the House of Representatives at the state Capitol with Speaker of the House Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, left, and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, flanking the governor on Jan. 13, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP File)
12 hours ago

Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill to Ban Teaching Antisemitism in Arizona’s Public Schools

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., demands the release of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka after his arrest while protesting outside an ICE detention prison, May 9, 2025, in Newark, N.J, (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, File)
12 hours ago

US Rep. LaMonica McIver Indicted on Federal Charges From Skirmish at New Jersey Immigration Center

President Donald Trump prepares to deliver remarks during a visit to Fort Bragg to mark the U.S. Army anniversary, in North Carolina, U.S., June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
13 hours ago

US Military Bases to Restore Names Changed After Racial Justice Protests, Trump Says

14 hours ago

Clovis Councilmember Basgall Says He Won’t Run for Re-Election

15 hours ago

An Unknowing Fresno County Gave Community Medical $2.7M While Hospital Engaged in Kickback Scheme

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/ File Photo
16 hours ago

Wall Street Ends Higher as Investors Track Progress of US-China Trade Talks

A bridge crane damaged by Israeli air strikes is pictured in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen July 31, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah//File Photo
17 hours ago

Israel Strikes Hodeidah Port, Threatens Naval, Air Blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for North Carolina at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
17 hours ago

Trump Warns Protests at Army Parade Will Be Met With Force

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend