WILMINGTON – Three police officers have been fired from the Wilmington Police Department after a review of car/cam recordings by a supervisor revealed disturbing conversations replete with blatant racism and open fantasizing about ‘slaughtering n—-rs.’
Do say these revelations add tender to the fire currently burning in this country would be an understatement, as competing narratives about racism in policing specifically, and systemic racism more generally, roll over the nation.
The conversations of the three former officers captured is explicit and abhorrent.
From Port City Daily:
“Michael ‘Kevin’ Piner, James ‘Brian’ Gilmore, and Jessie E. Moore II were all terminated from the force. The announcement came from the new Chief of Police Donny Williams — not even 24-hours into his first day as chief.
On Wednesday afternoon, members of City Council along with Williams held a press conference to address the conduct of the former police officers. Williams, a nearly 30-year veteran at the department said he was saddened by the actions of the officers, but would have no tolerance for this type of behavior. […]
“Why are we releasing this information this way and at this time? Because it is the right thing to do. Normally, personnel laws allow only a very small amount of information to be made public. However, in exceptional cases, when it is essential to maintain public confidence in the administration of the City and the Police Department, more information may be released. This is the most exceptional and difficult case I have encountered in my career. We must establish new reforms for policing here at home and throughout this country,” Williams said. […]
On June 4, just days after protests began in Wilmington regarding the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, a Sergeant Heflin was conducting monthly video audits — a routine part of her job — when she came across what was labeled as ‘accidental activations’ from Piner’s car. […]
Both conversations were explicit and racist in content.
According to the investigation summary, at 6:51 a.m., on a date not listed, Piner and Gilmore are recorded having a conversation.
“Their conversation eventually turned to the topic of the protests against racism occurring across the nation. Piner tells Gilmore that the only thing this agency is concerned with ‘kneeling down with the black folks.’ Gilmore then said that he watched a video on social media about white people bowing down on their knees and ‘worshipping blacks,’” according to the summary.
The conversation then turned to other police officers in the Wilmington Police Department — black officers.
The audio has Piner calling one of the officers ‘bad news’ and a ‘piece of shit.’
“Let’s see how his boys take care of him when shit gets rough, see if they don’t put a bullet in his head,” Piner said about a fellow officer.
That conversation ends as Piner goes to respond to an alarm call. […]”
So far, some base comments, but nothing crazy. Police officers dealing with the protests and riots and current anti-police atmosphere is certainly fraying nerves and raising antipathies. If this were it, this would be a nothing-burger. But that’s far from the worst of it.
“[…] The second of the two conversations that day happened after Piner received a phone call from Moore.
According to the summary, “Moore began telling Piner about an arrest he had made at work the day before. During that conversation, Moore refers to the female as a ‘negro’ and a ‘ni—-‘ on multiple occasions.”
He also referred to a magistrate judge, who is also black, as a ‘fucking negro magistrate.’
“At one point, Moore states, ‘she needed a bullet in her head right then and move on. Let’s move the body out of the way and keep going.’ Piner responds, ‘That’s what I have been trying to tell you,’” according to the documents.
After more derogatory comments about the arrestee and the magistrate, the conversation takes an even bleaker turn, as the two officers discuss an upcoming ‘civil war.’
“Piner tells Moore later in the conversation that he feels a civil war is coming and he is ‘ready.’ Piner advised he is going to buy a new assault rifle in the next couple of weeks. A short time later Officer Piner began to discuss society being close to ‘martial law’ and soon ‘we are just gonna go out and start slaughtering them fucking ni—–. I can’t wait. God, I can’t wait.’ Moore responded that he would not do that. Piner stated, ‘I am ready.’” according to the summary.
“Officer Piner then explained to Cpl. Moore that he felt society needed a civil war to ‘wipe ’em off the fucking map. That’ll put ’em back about four or five generations.’” […]”
A person harboring such views, indicating such inclinations, and fantasizing about an opportunity for genocide has absolutely no business in a position of law enforcement whatsoever. We are glad these officers have lost their badge, and, moreover, we are happy to see swift accountability from the department leaders.
Had an incident occurred that put a spotlight on these officers, only to reveal that they were known bad actors that were simply never dealt with, would add weight to the Left’s argument of systemically corrupt and racist law enforcement. Instead, the expeditious firing of these officers, and the transparency with which the department handled the developments during the most fraught racial tension in decades, reinforces the fact that most law enforcement is focused on the right things. Weeding out bad cops — and, regardless of actions, any cop that dreams about ‘slaughtering n—-rs’ is a bad cop — is a good thing.
Thus, as disturbing as these conversations are, to think that these officers were out interacting with the community everyday with such a mindset, this news is good news.
The firings are made all the more notable, not just because of the current environment, but also against the historical backdrop of the Port City. Wilmington is the site of an infamous 1898 insurrection — a massacre, a coup — in which White Supremacists, egged on by many politically famous Democrats like (eventual) Governor Charles B. Aycock and N&0 publisher Josephus Daniels, staged a violent overthrow of the local mixed-race government. A mob of 2,000 white southern Democrats went to overthrow the legitimately elected local government. They expelled opposition black and white political leaders from the city, destroyed the property and businesses of black citizens built up since the Civil War, including the only black newspaper in the city, and killed up to 300 people.
It’s purported to be the only such successful coup in American history, and it was fueled by rabidly racist Democrats.
With that put in context, it is easier to see why the immediate removal of these three officers from the Wilmington police force is a significant and important action. If we are going to be honest in seeking the truth, in defending good cops and resisting the lunacy of the Left; if we are going to inspire confidence in our law enforcement, instead of resentment and suspicion; if our fight is for constitutional government that protects the God-given rights of each and every individual, equally under the law; then we must expose and rid ourselves of those gross exceptions in law enforcement that sully the thin blue line and offer credence to the Left’s twisted narrative painting our entire system as corrupted with racism.
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