FBI Probe Into 17 California Cops Sparks Questions Over Widespread Racism

The FBI and a district attorney in California are investigating allegations of racism concerning numerous police officers in a single force, accusing them of criminal offenses and "moral turpitude."

Members of the Antioch Police Department—which oversees law enforcement in the city that's about 40 miles east of San Francisco—have been accused of sending text messages that admit to stopping black people based on their race, and comparing black people to "zoo" animals and "monkeys."

Seventeen officers have been named, but according to local reports, nearly a quarter of the force are on paid leave over the accusations, and the district attorney said 45 or more officers may have been involved.

The allegations came amid mounting concerns over systemic racism and the abuse of power among U.S. police forces, with deaths of black individuals in police custody repeatedly being attributed to an unjustified use of force. Lamar Thorpe, Antioch's mayor, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was "disgusted" by the texts, which "only culture creates."

Two reports, dated March 27 and 28, compiled by Larry Wallace, an inspector in the District Attorney's Office for Contra Costa County, said the District Attorney's Office and the FBI believe the communications "may have violated the Racial Justice Act."

They recounted some of the text messages, stating the authority believed they demonstrated the officers' "racial bias and animus towards African Americans and other people of color," as well as "homophobic" and "sexually explicit language and photographs."

Wallace noted: "This report does not include every derogatory text message retrieved during our review," and was part of "an ongoing state and federal criminal investigation which may lead to further disclosures."

The March 28 report alleges that in one exchange, on March 25, 2021 one officer texted another that there were "sooo many black peolpe [sic]," to which the recipient officer responded: "Bro. They all look the same."

The first officer is then said to have replied: "I feel like I'm at the zoo." The second officer in further texts in the exchange allegedly suggested the black people being referred to were avidly pursuing "watermelon"—a racist trope that dates back to the Civil War—and used the n-word to describe them.

In a separate exchange the same day, the first officer allegedly suggested as the night drew in, he could not see black individuals after "they stopped smiling."

In the March 27 report, a meme and hashtags containing the repeated use of the n-word were allegedly part of text conversations across a series of dates in 2019, including one officer who, on November 22 that year, described one black person as a "Thirsty n****r," "Donkey n****r" and "Panhandling n****r."

On February 18, 2020, the same officer is accused of claiming that there were a "bunch of gorillas surrounding us." On April 5, another officer allegedly said: "Bro the circus is in town... but it seems they only brought monkeys." The first officer is then claimed to have replied: "It's a zoo over there right now."

The report also alleges that on June 5, 2020, one officer, referring to another, said that he "isn't a racist... he just hates women." On June 22 that year—less than a month after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota—one officer is accused of texting a doctored photo of a black man with his "penis exposed" sitting on Floyd's neck.

Responding to the allegations on April 13, Steve Ford, Antioch Police Department's chief, said: "I condemn—in the strongest possible terms—the racially abhorrent content and incomprehensible behavior being attributed to members of the Antioch Police Department."

He went on to apologize on behalf of the force "for the hurt caused by this hateful speech" and said he had taken "immediate action" to ensure a thorough investigation of the matter.

"I promise to hold accountable the officers expressing racist or bigoted beliefs, biased insensitivity, and those boasting about harming members of the community," Ford added.

Impact on Criminal Proceedings

The allegations not only expose a potential issue of widespread racism within the force, but could have an impact on criminal proceedings.

Following the disclosures, the county's chief public defender is said to have written to the district attorney, Diana Becton, calling for her to dismiss all pending cases involving Antioch Police Department.

Becton told KRON4 that her office was working to identify potentially compromised cases. "Once we've identified those cases—and any overlapping conflicts—we will initiate a detailed review process for potential dismissal, resentencing, or the preservation of convictions," she said.

Following the death of Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement has sought reforms of the policing system to root out racist officers and prevent unnecessary deaths of black individuals in police custody.

In a 2021 report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, a group of experts called on the U.S. government to adopt "wide ranging" changes to "vigorously address systemic racism and racial discrimination."

In a statement, the group wrote: "We agree forcefully with the necessity for greater accountability. The authorities at all levels must ensure that there is no impunity for any excessive use of force by law enforcement officials."

The FBI declined to comment on the case when approached by Newsweek. A spokesperson for the Antioch Police Department referred back to Ford's earlier statement.

Update 04/19/23, 3:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include responses from the FBI and the Antioch Police Department.